A Griffon's Allegiance
by TheGoldenYoshichu
Summary: Princess Luna mysteriously vanished in the night. The only clue left behind is a feather. Gilda and Rainbow Dash venture deep into Grifforia to save their princess. However they uncover something much worse during their mission that could threaten Equestria and its citizens. Gilda also seems to be preoccupied with something or maybe somepony? Sequel to Treasure Trove Troubles.
1. Chapter 1: A Grifforian Legend

**Chapter 1: A Grifforian Legend**

It had been a month since the adventure at the treasure filled cave. The group of nine that had gone on that journey had spent the money that they had earned. Rainbow Dash built a training ground for herself so that she could try to improve her chances of becoming a Wonderbolt. She had filled it with obstacles and all sorts of things. She made sure that she could train herself in every single way possible. Being a fast flier was very important but Rainbow Dash also needed to be agile and have fast reflexes. Her obstacle course trained all of that and more. Her two friends Gilda and Lightning Dust used the area a lot as well since they both shared that very same dream. The two of them were just as passionate about joining The Wonderbolts as Rainbow Dash was. Meanwhile Lightning Dust used her share of money to expand her house quite a bit. At first the daredevil's home had been a really small building with only one bedroom, one bathroom, and a rather poor kitchen. The daredevil didn't even have a living room in her house. However after some major renovations, Lightning Dust's house had gotten a much needed upgrade.

Lightning Dust's house now had a very large living room as well as two bathrooms. The living room sported two blue sofas with very soft cushions as well as a red rug. The bathrooms had white ceramic toilets, sinks, and bathtubs. The daredevil had a large bedroom all for herself as well as another smaller bedroom for her guests. Her kitchen had been upgraded by quite a bit to include a better refrigerator and stove as well as a dining table. The house itself was also a lot nicer looking on the outside since it had been given a fresh coat of paint. However majority of the money was spent on a very interesting new feature in Lightning Dust's living room. One day the daredevil invited her friends over for a party. Then she flipped a switch and something really incredible had happened. The floor flipped over to reveal a really bright and multicolored dance floor with several tiles that would change their colors every couple seconds or so. There were also plenty of bright and colorful lights beaming down on the dance floor as well as some catchy music playing. Lightning Dust could now turn her living room into her own personal dance club with the simple flick of a switch. She confessed to her friends that she had wanted something like this for a long time.

The others also found ways to spend their money. Spike had used a good portion of his money on his date with Rarity but he still had a considerable amount leftover. He only sold the gems that he'd need to sell and he kept the rest of them for himself. He baked a gem cake and it was delicious. Spike had loved every single bite of the dessert that he had made. His mouth was watering the entire time he was making the cake. Thankfully Rarity had worked with him and she had made sure that Spike didn't eat all of the gems that he needed for the cake. The white unicorn had used up most of her gems as part of some new designs that she was working on. She gave the remaining gems to Spike since he loved them so much. Applejack had used all of the bits that she had made to help out her family as well as the farm. They had gotten some much needed improvements to the equipment that they had which had helped them get work done faster. This would make their farm much more productive. Applejack had also built a building for Apple Bloom and her friends to practice their music. Though this had been very generous it was also due to the fact that the foursome's practice got very noisy since they were a rock band. Fluttershy used her bits to give her animal friends a much better environment to live in. Now their homes were a lot more comfortable than they had been before since they had a lot more space. Pinkie Pie had spent her bits on various ingredients for a new batch of cupcakes. When they were finally ready she shared them with her friends and all nine of them said that they were very delicious. Gilda had decided to save her bits since she didn't need anything for the moment though she did decide to treat herself to an expensive piece of salmon from a restaurant. Twilight Sparkle had used her own share of the treasure to hire some extra help around the castle. While Spike was undoubtedly a really fantastic assistant, Twilight Sparkle knew that the dragon couldn't do everything. She also didn't want his job to interfere with his new relationship with Rarity since the duo were getting along extremely well.

Finally there was Trixie. The showmare had spent half of her bits on new equipment for her shows. Her equipment would create very flashy effects which Trixie would use for her performances. After this, the showmare decided to buy herself some new clothes. Trixie loved her cape and hat but she felt like she should have other things to wear besides her stage outfit. The blue unicorn had bought herself two new outfits with the bits that she had had leftover. One of the outfits was something that she could wear casually whenever she wasn't performing in front of a crowd. The ensemble consisted of a blue zip up hoodie with light blue stars on the elbows and a yellow waistband, a light purple undershirt, a purple and light blue skirt, blue and purple boots, and a star shaped accessory that was placed in her mane. Trixie had also bought herself a somewhat fancy blue dress which had been styled similar to her cape. She had also bought similar clothing for Twilight Sparkle though her clothes were purple instead of blue. Trixie had made sure that Twilight Sparkle's clothing were designed like her own stage outfit. Instead of five pointed stars Twilight Sparkle's outfit would have six pointed stars like the ones on her cutie mark. The adventure also brought the group of ten closer together. They had become much better friends as a result of the treasure hunt.

The group of ten were inside of Lightning Dust's house as Twilight Sparkle read a story that she saw in a book that she had bought. It was a fantasy story but everypony enjoyed it. It was a legend like Nightmare Moon but much more fantastical and interesting. It was a bestselling story so Twilight Sparkle decided to read it to her friends. The alicorn read as her nine friends listened to her intently. They enjoyed hearing these types of stories that held their attention. Everypony applauded when the story was finished. All of them talked amongst themselves as Rainbow Dash turned to her best friend Gilda and spoke.

"Hey G." Rainbow Dash said. "Do they have any stories like that in Grifforia?"

Gilda drank down her glass of cider and thought for a moment. She didn't know many Grifforian stories and most of the ones she knew would not be appreciated by her friends since Grifforian books often portrayed ponies in a very negative light due to the general hatred of ponies amongst griffons.

"Not many." she replied. "Most of 'em are pretty bad. But there's one good one. The Legend of The Golden Griffon."

This caught the attention of the other nine friends. All of them wanted to hear about this story. Gilda didn't have very many stories from Grifforia so this was a rare treat. Gilda was never much for storytelling yet whenever she did tell one she always kept her audience's attention. Every single one of the nine friends was excited to hear the story. Gilda smiled slightly at the attention and spoke to her friends.

"I don't have the book." she said. "So I'm only gonna tell ya what I can remember."

Gilda looked thoughtful for a moment and then she started telling the story to her friends.

"A long time ago." Gilda began. "There was a pony that ruled over Grifforia with an iron hoof. Every single griffon was terrified of him. He treated all griffons horribly. He had his throne and everything he wanted while griffons got nothing. Any griffon that tried to fight him got destroyed."

The nine friends listened intently as Gilda continued telling the story. They weren't sure if it was true or false but it was certainly interesting. They had never imagined Grifforia being ruled by a pony dictator. Grifforia and Equestria had a very tense relationship and most griffons hated ponies with a passion. Gilda was a rare exception to this and she was pretty friendly to most ponies.

"For years no one could beat him." Gilda said. "Dozens of griffons tried but all of them lost. Eventually they all gave up hope and felt like they were going to be under his control forever. Then one day she appeared out of nowhere."

"Who?" the nine friends asked in unison as they hung on Gilda's every word. This story had certainly caught their attention and they were eager to hear more about it. The brown and white griffon was definitely surprised and just a little bit flattered by how enthralled her friends were by her tale.

"The Golden Griffon." Gilda replied. "She lost her husband to the pony ruler and she wasn't happy. She stood up to the pony and they fought. No matter how many hits she took the griffon just wouldn't quit. She wanted to take that pony down for herself and every other griffon. She wanted to free Grifforia."

Gilda's voice changed as she recited the conversation that took place between the two as they fought the battle that would decide the fate of Grifforia. The young female griffon had a tan body and a white head. Her emerald green eyes glared at the pony that she was facing. The pony dictator was a muscular earth pony like Big Macintosh. However his body was a dark jet black color with a long dark brown mane and tail. His cold steel gray eyes glared angrily back at the griffon as he fought against her.

"Surrender you insolent little whelp." the dictator pony had said angrily as he lunged at his opponent. "You have no chance of beating me."

"I'll never give up." the female griffon replied in a voice of fierce determination as she quickly dodged his ferocious attack and countered with her own. "You destroyed my husband."

"And what a pathetic creature he was." the pony replied nastily as he blocked the griffon's punch. "He had no chance of stopping me. Someone that was so weak and worthless couldn't hope to accomplish anything. He wasn't fit to trim my mane let alone defeat me."

"That's when the griffon started glowing." Gilda said as her friends listened to her with awe on their faces. "Her whole body was covered in light and then she changed her colors. Her entire body was golden. Then she fought against the pony and destroyed him the same way he destroyed all of the griffons he fought."

The dictator pony was on the ground. He had finally been defeated. Many griffons came out of their hiding places and stared at their fallen enemy. His cold gray eyes could no longer strike fear into their hearts anymore. He had truly been defeated by The Golden Griffon. All of the griffons looked right at The Golden Griffon who was standing triumphantly next to the defeated dictator glaring down at him.

"It is over!" The Golden Griffon shouted in a loud and clear voice as she stared at the surrounding griffons. "The evil pony's reign of terror has come to an end! Grifforia is finally free!"

The griffons cheered and they hailed The Golden Griffon as a hero. She was then quickly chosen to be the new leader of Grifforia. Her story had been passed down through generations and she was a legend. Every griffon knew about the story of The Golden Griffon and how she had saved Grifforia from the evil pony. This had led to Grifforia being able to protect itself. It also led to a massive distrust of ponies which was part of what caused the first war between Grifforia and Equestria over fifty years ago.

Gilda's story came to a close and her nine friends clapped. They hadn't expected a story like this but they had really enjoyed it. Gilda wasn't usually a storyteller but she had done an incredible job at keeping the group of nine interested and entertained. Every one of the nine friends who had been listening to the griffon's story was now wondering the same thing: was the story actually real?

"Did it really happen?" Rainbow Dash asked in a curious tone.

"No idea." Gilda replied. "No one knows if The Golden Griffon's real. I don't even know if there _was _a pony dictator."

The group of ten hung out together for a while and they were in high spirits. Lightning Dust's house was perfect for parties. Since her house was on the ground, anypony could visit not just pegasi. All of the friends chatted with each other as they had a good time. They might not have had much in common with each other but they always did enjoy each other's company. The ten friends were all in very good moods as they went back to their houses and fell asleep. Everything was quiet, tranquil, and peaceful in Ponyville as the night went on. Nothing could bring down the positive moods of the ten friends.

Or so they had thought.

Meanwhile many miles away in the country of Grifforia, two griffons stood plotting a very malicious and evil scheme. One was a large and muscular male griffon while the other was a light and agile female griffon. The two half lion half eagle creatures were alone as they had their discussion.

"Tonight's the night." the male griffon said in a determined tone.

"We shall finally have our revenge on those ponies." the female replied excitedly.

"All of Equestria will bow before us and serve us just like they're supposed to." the male continued with a very wicked grin on his face.

"And that traitor Gilda will learn her lesson." the female finished with a malicious smile.

The two griffons laughed maniacally as a group of five griffons took to the skies and flew off into the distance on their way to the city of Canterlot inside of Equestria. The griffons had been planning this for a long time so the five that were now flying didn't even need to be told to go to Equestria. The two griffons were confident that their plan would be very successful. This was going to be a very big catastrophe for the citizens of Equestria.

**Author's Note: **Trixie's outfit is pretty much what she wears in Equestria Girls. (I haven't seen EG yet but I did see a picture of FiM Trixie wearing her EG outfit and I thought it was cute so I decided to include it.) Also Lightning Dust having a dance floor in her house was a random idea that struck me and I decided to add it in just for entertainment reasons.


	2. Chapter 2: Missing Moon Goddess

**Chapter 2: Missing Moon Goddess**

Twilight Sparkle was woken up much earlier than she would have liked the next day. Spike was standing next to her and he was shaking her to try and get her to wake up. He had a very urgent tone as he urged the alicorn to get out of bed. Yawning a bit at being disturbed at such an early hour, Twilight Sparkle sat up in her bed and she gave the young dragon a rather annoyed look as she spoke to him.

"What's wrong Spike?" she asked.

"Princess Celestia's here!" Spike said urgently. "She says there's an emergency!"

Twilight Sparkle quickly got out of bed and went into the main room of her castle. There she saw The Sun Goddess herself Princess Celestia. The white alicorn goddess stood in the center of the room and she had a very grim and serious expression on her face as she spoke to Twilight Sparkle.

"There has been a terrible crime." Princess Celestia said in a serious tone as she looked the purple alicorn in the eyes. Twilight Sparkle knew that this wouldn't be good news. What could have Princess Celestia in such a bad mood? The purple alicorn was nervous as she spoke to her former teacher.

"What happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked urgently. She tried to prepare herself for anything at all. Her mind was racing as she thought of all of the possibilities.

"Princess Luna has been kidnapped." Princess Celestia replied grimly much to the shock of the purple alicorn. Twilight Sparkle had definitely not been expecting to hear that.

Twilight Sparkle's jaw dropped as she heard this. She might not have been The Element of Honesty like Applejack but she knew that Princess Celestia wasn't lying. The Sun Goddess would never joke about something as serious as her own sister's disappearance. Princess Luna had been kidnapped. This was unbelievable and yet it had happened. The Moon Goddess had been kidnapped. But who would dare to commit such a terrible crime and why were two questions that remained unanswered.

"When did this happen?" Twilight Sparkle whispered in shock.

"Sometime last night." Princess Celestia replied. "Her guards were found unconscious. We don't know where Princess Luna could be. She could be anywhere."

The two of them tried to figure out where Princess Luna could have been taken to when the door to the castle was opened. One of Princess Celestia's royal guards walked in and he was holding a feather in his hoof. His expression was unreadable as he approached The Sun Goddess.

"Your Majesty." he said. "We found this at the scene. It could be a clue."

He handed over the feather, bowed, and departed. Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle stared very intently at the feather. It wasn't like the feathers that would be found on a pegasus pony. This feather was from a different creature entirely. But what was it? The duo studied the feather for a while until Princess Celestia's eyes widened a little.

"It's a griffon feather." Princess Celestia said with a rather surprised look on her face.

"Griffon?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Are you sure?"

"I am positive." Princess Celestia replied. "Twilight you know that relations between Equestria and Grifforia have been very tense for the past few decades don't you?"

"Of course." Twilight Sparkle responded quickly. "Ever since the war fifty years ago Grifforia and Equestria have been enemies with each other."

"Well this feather might explain where Princess Luna is." The Sun Goddess said. "She could be in Grifforia."

"We have to save her." Twilight Sparkle replied firmly. The purple alicorn knew that whatever the griffons in Grifforia had planned to do with Princess Luna would not be good for Equestria.

"That is certain." Princess Celestia agreed. "However our guards could never set hoof inside of Grifforia's territory. The griffons have a grudge against ponies and they would attack any pony on sight. The only ones who can get inside of Grifforia would be griffons."

"Only griffons." Twilight Sparkle muttered. All of a sudden her eyes shot open. "Gilda! Gilda can go to Grifforia. She can save Princess Luna."

"That is a good idea." Princess Celestia said. "We had better find Gilda."

The two alicorns left the castle and looked for Gilda. They found her pretty soon. Gilda and Rainbow Dash were flying at fast paces as they used the training course that Rainbow Dash had set up. Lightning Dust would have joined them but she was helping Applejack with some work. The two fliers were pushing themselves to the limit. They took their dreams of becoming Wonderbolts very seriously and they would give everything they had during their training. Their obstacle course was being put to good use as they dodged around the various hazards in their path.

"Gilda!" Twilight Sparkle called out.

The two fliers stopped their training and then they went to greet the duo.

"How's it going Twi?" Gilda asked in a casual tone.

"Gilda Princess Luna's been captured." Twilight Sparkle said urgently. "We need you to go to Grifforia and save her."

The eyes of the two fliers widened as they heard this announcement. They couldn't believe that Princess Luna had been kidnapped. The Moon Goddess being held captive in Grifforia was definitely a stunning announcement to the two fliers. Gilda shook her head as she replied to the alicorn's request.

"Can't do that Twi." Gilda said. "Griffons hate me."

This drew a very curious glance from the three ponies that were near her. What did Gilda mean by that statement? Why would griffons hate her? They voiced their confusion until Gilda gave them an answer.

"A griffon that's friends with a pony is a traitor." Gilda explained. "When I chose Dash over the griffons they decided that I'm their enemy. If I go into Grifforia they'll attack me just like they'd attack a pony. I can't save Princess Luna."

"But you're our only hope." Twilight Sparkle insisted. "Please Gilda we need your help."

Gilda looked from Twilight Sparkle to Princess Celestia and sighed.

"All right." she said reluctantly. "I'll do it. It won't be easy."

She was about to walk away and plan out her mission when Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"I'm goin' with ya G." Rainbow Dash said in a determined tone.

Gilda stared at Rainbow Dash in shock as she heard this. She quickly shook her head and spoke to her best friend.

"No way Dash." she said. "It's bad enough I'm going. Those griffons will go after ya the second they see ya."

"That's too bad." Rainbow Dash said fiercely. "I'm not letting my best friend do this on her own. I'm going with ya G and that's that. We're gonna save Princess Luna together."

Rainbow Dash stared firmly at Gilda as she nodded.

"All right Dash." Gilda said. "But I warned ya."

The two fliers walked to the edge of town. Their friends joined them and they wished the duo luck on their mission. All of them knew the kind of danger that Rainbow Dash and Gilda would be in. They knew that Grifforia wouldn't take very kindly to them. Gilda put a mask on her face in an attempt to disguise herself. The duo created a false story about how Rainbow Dash had been transformed into a pony and that they were going to have Princess Luna turn her back into a griffon. Hopefully the griffons would buy that tale. Princess Celestia and the eight others watched as Rainbow Dash and Gilda took to the skies on a very daring mission. Hopefully they could bring Princess Luna back and hopefully they wouldn't be harmed during their journey.


	3. Chapter 3: Back to Grifforia

**Chapter 3: Back to Grifforia**

Rainbow Dash and Gilda flew through the skies on their way to Grifforia. Both of them were incredibly nervous. They were by themselves on a very daring rescue mission. It didn't help that both of them were hated by griffons. Rainbow Dash was a pony and therefore an enemy of Grifforia. Since Gilda was Rainbow Dash's friend she'd be in the same boat as the pegasus herself. Their plan wasn't perfect but it was the best that they could do. None of Twilight Sparkle's spells would be able to disguise either of them for long enough. They also couldn't risk bringing the alicorn too close to Grifforia. The duo had taken a train to the nearest possible town in Equestria in order to save as much of their energy as they possibly could. However the country of Grifforia was still a decent flight away. Gilda and Rainbow Dash could make it without any trouble but they didn't want to drain their energy by flying too quickly. Getting into Grifforia would be extremely difficult. Getting out along with Princess Luna without attracting attention would be borderline impossible.

"Just remember Dash." Gilda said. "We gotta lay low as much as we can. Don't hurt anyone."

"I know G." Rainbow Dash replied. "But why can't we fight our way out?"

"Because if we attack them nothing good can happen." Gilda replied shortly.

The duo flew through the skies and soon they saw Grifforia. They flew to the capital city and touched down outside of the gates. Gilda made sure that her mask was on properly and then the duo walked to the entrance of the city. The gate was closed and a very serious looking griffon stood guard in front of it.

"Hold it right there." he said. "No ponies allowed in Grifforia."

"She's not a pony." Gilda replied. "Some punk unicorn cast a spell on her. Turned her into this. We're trying to see if we can get her back to being a griffon."

Gilda and Rainbow Dash held their breath as they waited to see if the guard would believe their lie. They did not want to have to fight anyone if they could avoid it. Being stealthy was the best thing they could do and they wanted to do that for as long as possible.

"Lousy ponies." the guard mumbled. "Bad enough they start that war years ago, now they gotta attack us too." He glared up at the sky before he returned his gaze to the two fliers. "All right go on in."

The guard opened the gate and allowed the two fliers to enter the capital city of Grifforia. The two of them gazed in astonishment as they looked around. The city was more like a military stronghold than anything else. Guards patrolled the area frequently and many buildings had searchlights on them. Gilda and Rainbow Dash knew that getting Princess Luna out of a place like this wouldn't be easy. They realized that they didn't know which building would hold The Moon Goddess. Thankfully they saw two griffons walking and they heard a snippet of their conversation.

"Did ya hear about how that pony princess got captured last night?" one griffon asked his friend.

"Yep." the second replied. "Saw her get taken to the prison myself. Right in the center of town."

"Do ya think there's gonna be a war?" the first one asked his friend.

"I don't know." the second replied. "But if there is I can't wait to kick some wimpy pony tail."

The two of them walked away laughing as Gilda tried to restrain Rainbow Dash from lashing out.

"Come on G let me at 'em." Rainbow Dash snarled angrily as she struggled to get to the two griffons. "I'll show them who's a wimpy pony."

"No!" Gilda replied firmly. "We don't wanna start anything."

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Because these guys could start a war if we hit them." Gilda said.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in surprise as she heard this.

"You're not serious are ya G?" she asked quietly.

"Dead serious." Gilda said. "It's bad enough we're saving Luna. If we fight them we might as well declare war."

Rainbow Dash nodded and from that point she kept herself from lashing out towards any griffons. Neither of the two fliers wanted to see a war break out between Equestria and Grifforia. Such an event happening would be a dreadful catastrophe. The two walked on as they made their way to the prison that held Princess Luna. It sat in the center of the city according to the two griffons so Gilda and Rainbow Dash had a decent walk ahead of them.

Gilda meanwhile was having a fierce battle inside of her head. However it had nothing to do with the situation that concerned Princess Luna.

_Just tell her._ she thought to herself. _You know you're in love with her just say it._

_But what if she hates me? _another part of her mind asked._ She'll ditch me. I lost her once I can't lose her again._

_She's your best friend. She won't ditch you. You're just being paranoid like that time at the party._

_She doesn't love me. I'm just her best friend._

Gilda's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Rainbow Dash spoke to her.

"You okay G?" she asked in a concerned tone as she gazed at Gilda with her pink and purple eyes.

"I'm fine Dash." Gilda replied dishonestly hoping that Rainbow Dash wouldn't see through her lie.

"Just nervous?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A bit." Gilda replied. She was thankful that Rainbow Dash hadn't picked up on the real reason for her discomfort.

"Same here G." Rainbow Dash said. "Same here."

_I'm gonna have to tell her soon. _Rainbow Dash thought to herself. _But right now we've got bigger things to deal with._

The two of them then made it to the prison and they stared in shock at the massive secure fortress that stood before them. They hadn't seen many prisons in their lives but they were certain that none of the prisons in the whole country of Equestria would be anything like the one that they were looking at now.

The prison was a large and intimidating sort of building. The fortress was surrounded by thick black stone walls with searchlights placed at every few feet. There were dozens of guards patrolling all around the prison. Each and every one of them carried a weapon that Rainbow Dash had never seen before. Gilda quickly explained that it was called a bow and she then explained what it would do. Rainbow Dash looked a little bit nervous but Gilda told her to keep cool and stick to the plan. She assured Rainbow Dash that the guards were most likely terrible shots since bows were a new weapon for them. The duo walked to the gates and were stopped by no less than five guards. All of them glared suspiciously at the duo as they approached the fortified structure.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" the leader asked in a threatening tone. "You know ponies are not allowed in Grifforia under any circumstance. Are you a traitor or something?"

"There's been an accident." Gilda explained. "She's a griffon but she got hit by a spell and got turned into this. We want to get that pony princess to turn her back."

The guard leader spat on the ground in disgust.

"I hate ponies." he muttered darkly. "They always try to get one up on us. Normally I can't allow anyone near a high security prisoner but this time I'll let ya through." He opened the gates and then handed Gilda an identification card. "Show this to the griffon guarding her cell. She's on the lowest level."

The duo entered the building and they took the long flight of stairs down to the lowest level. Many griffon guards were patrolling the halls but none of them noticed the duo. This was a welcome bit of relief for Gilda and Rainbow Dash. They did not want to get in a fight if they could avoid it. They showed the identification card to the griffon and then they were escorted straight to Princess Luna's cell. The guard then motioned for the duo to stay back while he explained the situation to The Moon Goddess. Gilda and Rainbow Dash waited for a few moments until they heard the guard open the door to Princess Luna's prison cell. The two fliers waited as the guard brought The Moon Goddess to them.

Princess Luna walked out of her dark cell and stood in front of Rainbow Dash and Gilda. She looked surprised to see them but thankfully she stayed silent. Gilda had barely kept herself from breathing a sigh of relief. She had feared that Princess Luna might accidentally blow their cover by expressing her surprise at seeing two familiar faces. Gilda might have been disguised but Rainbow Dash certainly wasn't so they would have been in some serious trouble if The Moon Goddess accidentally let their true identities slip.

"Now I trust that you'll be cooperative." the guard said to The Moon Goddess. "You'll do everything that they ask you to do. Do I make myself clear?"

Princess Luna nodded curtly and the guard left the trio. After making sure that they were alone, Gilda quietly explained the situation to The Moon Goddess. The three of them headed back up the stairs and they tried not to show their glee. They were going to escape from Grifforia and none of the griffons would be any the wiser. Their rescue mission had been more successful than anyone could have hoped. The guards had bought their story and there wasn't a single alarm raised or a single guard alerted. The mission had gone smoothly. What could go wrong?

Little did they know that there was more to Princess Luna's kidnapping than there appeared to be. Her capture was just part of a diabolical plan that had been formed by two griffons. There was going to be something even worse in store for the three of them as well as all of Equestria. Something that was beyond the imaginations of anypony. This was only the beginning of the adventure for Gilda and Rainbow Dash.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape From Grifforia

**Chapter 4: Escape From Grifforia**

Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna walked through the prison and marveled at how fortunate they were. Here were two ponies and a traitor inside of a secure prison in Grifforia and nobody was paying attention to them. Gilda was extremely tense as she led the group out of the prison. Once they were outside they'd take to the skies at the earliest safest moment and fly back to Equestria. Princess Luna had been weakened greatly by her capture and imprisonment so she couldn't teleport the trio to safety. The three of them walked onwards and were unaware of the plan that was being formed.

"I can't believe this." Rainbow Dash muttered in a surprised and excited tone.

"Don't jinx it Dash." Gilda warned. "We're not safe till we're back in Ponyville."

"A little paranoid aren't ya G?" Rainbow Dash asked in a playful tone.

"I'm trying to keep us alive and not start a war." Gilda replied in an annoyed tone. "I'm not gonna take any chances."

"Don't worry G." Rainbow Dash said soothingly. "I'm not gonna blow our cover."

The trio walked on until Gilda's head perked up. She heard movement near them. Quick as a flash she grabbed Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna and hid them against a wall. They might have had a believable story but Gilda wasn't going to risk getting caught. She watched as two griffons walked past them and talked.

"Can't believe we got that Princess." the first one said in a proud voice.

"You know the plan right?" the second griffon asked his comrade.

"Yep." the first replied eagerly. "We bait those wimpy ponies out with their precious Princess and then take 'em down when they least expect it."

"You got that right." the second griffon agreed. "Those ponies have no army and even if they did our secret weapon would take care of them."

"That thing is awesome." the first griffon said in an enthusiastic tone. "But those new troops give me the creeps."

"I know." the second replied with a shiver. "Using machines as soldiers. But it'll work. Those ponies are going down."

"I just wanna give that traitor Gilda a piece of my mind." the first griffon said with a scowl.

"Don't even joke like that." his companion warned. "You know that the general and the director have already claimed her. Gilda's a traitor but she's out of bounds for us. If we hurt her we're in some big trouble."

The first griffon nodded though he didn't look particularly happy. It was clear that he had a serious grudge against Gilda for being a traitor.

"So what happens when we win the war?" the first griffon asked.

"We take over Equestria and those ponies serve us forever." the second replied with a grin.

The two griffons walked away laughing. Gilda waited a moment before she left her hiding place with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. The three of them exchanged very nervous and alarmed glances. They needed to get out of there right away. The trio moved upwards until they were back on the main floor of the prison. Gilda peeked out the doors and then she signaled for the others to follow her quickly. The trio escaped from the prison and they headed back to the front gates of the city. The capital of Grifforia was surrounded by a thick forest which would give them plenty of cover to take off into the sky.

The three of them were roughly ten feet away from the gates when they heard a shout.

"Freeze right where you are!" an angry voice yelled.

The trio turned and saw ten griffons racing towards them with bows slung over their shoulders. They all had extremely angry looks on their faces and they seemed to know what was going on.

"Take them down." the leader said. "Don't let the prisoner escape."

The griffons charged towards the trio. Princess Luna looked frightened while Rainbow Dash looked straight at Gilda for instruction.

"Time to bail?" she asked.

"Time to bail." Gilda replied.

The three of them took to the skies and flew away from the capital city. They heard an alarm sound and saw the ten griffons flying behind them. Their cover was blown and they were now flying for their lives. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna tried to outfly their pursuers but the griffons were very fast. While Gilda and Rainbow Dash could easily escape from them, Princess Luna wasn't as fast of a flier. The duo needed to protect her until they were safely back in Ponyville. A griffon caught up to them and tried to tackle Princess Luna. Gilda however got in the way and fought. The griffon quickly ripped Gilda's mask off and his eyes widened in shock and anger as he saw who he was looking at.

"It's Gilda!" he shouted. "The traitor is helping the ponies escape!"

Instantly the other nine griffons took out their bows.

"Take them down." the leader said. "There's a huge reward for catching that traitor if we bring her to the general."

Immediately the nine griffons started firing arrows at the trio. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna dodged the many projectiles as they flew. They knew that they couldn't keep this up forever. The griffons weren't great shots but they were still threatening. If they didn't manage to hit the trio then they'd certainly cause trouble if they made it all the way to Ponyville. Gilda and Rainbow Dash knew that they couldn't let the griffons follow them back to Equestria.

"We need a plan G!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Got any ideas?" Gilda shouted back.

"No." Rainbow Dash replied. "You?"

"I've got one." Gilda said. "But it's crazy."

Gilda turned around and faced the gang of griffons.

"Get Luna and get out of here." she said to Rainbow Dash. "I'll keep these guys busy."

"You're crazy G!" Rainbow Dash replied.

"Just GO!" Gilda shouted.

Rainbow Dash nodded and then she flew off with Princess Luna following behind her. Gilda watched them until they both became small specks in the sky. Then she turned towards her enemies and glared at them. The ten griffons tried to follow the duo but Gilda was determined to keep them at bay. She wasn't going to let them hurt Rainbow Dash or Princess Luna. There wasn't a chance of that.

"You're going down traitor." one of them yelled as he fired another arrow which Gilda dodged.

Gilda roared and then she began to fight the group of ten angry griffons. They fired their arrows at her as she flew towards them and punched them out. Gilda felt a few arrows hit her but she paid no mind to them. She had to make sure that Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna could escape back to Ponyville. Gilda knew that injuries like this were to be expected from the moment that she had agreed to go on this mission. The brown and white griffon took down two griffons as she focused her energy on the fight.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna were flying back to Ponyville. None of the ten griffons were following them and it didn't look like any reinforcements were coming. The two of them breathed easily since they felt like they were safe. However both of them were very concerned about Gilda. The griffon was tough but she was up against ten armed guards. Rainbow Dash was extremely scared for the safety of her best friend.

_Come on G. _she thought desperately. _You can make it. I can't lose ya. It's bad enough I kicked you out of my life for a year. I can't lose ya forever._

The duo managed to make it to Ponyville. They saw Princess Celestia waiting for them along with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, Lightning Dust, and Trixie. The group of nine surrounded the duo as they came to a smooth landing. Princess Celestia held her sister in a comforting embrace. The others surrounded Rainbow Dash and they were all excited to see their friend back in Ponyville. Lightning Dust looked around and her eyes narrowed a bit.

"Where's Gilda?" she asked.

"She stayed behind to help us escape." Rainbow Dash said.

"Is she all right?" Twilight Sparkle asked urgently.

"I don't know." Rainbow Dash replied uncertainly.

The group of eleven watched the skies and looked for any signs of Gilda. Pinkie Pie was extremely nervous. She had become very good friends with Gilda and she didn't want the griffon to get hurt.

_Come on Gilda._ Rainbow Dash thought. _Where are ya? Ya gotta make it back. Ponyville wouldn't be the same without ya. I wouldn't be the same without ya._

The group of eleven kept scanning the night skies for their friend. All of a sudden Pinkie Pie hopped up and down and shrieked in a very excited tone.

"There she is!" she yelled as she pointed her hoof towards a small speck in the sky.

The others looked and sure enough Pinkie Pie was right. Gilda was flying straight towards them. She seemed to have escaped from her attackers since she was flying by herself. Twilight Sparkle's eyes narrowed as she looked at Gilda. The purple alicorn knew that something was wrong. She might not have known much about Gilda or about griffons in general but she knew that Gilda was badly hurt. The griffon was flying in a very strange way. It was as if it took all of her energy just to stay airborne. Twilight Sparkle also noticed that several of Gilda's feathers were sticking out at very odd angles. As the griffon got closer, the purple alicorn realized that those objects were too thin and long to be Gilda's feathers. The group of eleven watched as Gilda crash landed in front of them and crumpled in a heap. The brown and white griffon was unconscious and she had several arrows sticking out of her body.


	5. Chapter 5: Arrows and Announcements

**Chapter 5: Arrows and Announcements**

The group of eleven stared at the unconscious form of Gilda the Griffon. They looked at the numerous amounts of arrows that were protruding from the half lion half eagle creature's body. They couldn't believe that Gilda had taken so much damage during the escape from Grifforia. Rainbow Dash went over to Gilda and began trying to pull her. When that didn't work she tried to lift Gilda. When that didn't work she glared at her friends.

"I could use some help here." she said impatiently.

Applejack quickly ran over to Rainbow Dash's side and then the duo lifted Gilda up. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decided to wait at Twilight Sparkle's castle with Trixie and Spike while the others got Gilda treated at Fluttershy's cottage. The rainbow maned pegasus and the orange earth pony carried Gilda to Fluttershy's house. They set her down on the yellow pegasus' couch while Fluttershy herself examined Gilda and did whatever she could to help her.

Gilda was in a state of semi-consciousness. Her body was hurting all over from the many arrows that pierced her limbs and torso. The griffon tried to open her eyes but she just couldn't. All she could do was lay still and listen to the conversation that was taking place around her.

"Oh my." she heard Rarity gasp. "She really doesn't look too well."

"Ah can't believe she took all of those arrows." Applejack said.

"Me either." Lightning Dust agreed. "I knew she was tough but I didn't think she was this tough."

"She looks like she's sleeping." Pinkie Pie said. "I'll get the water bucket."

"No Pinkie." Twilight Sparkle's firm voice responded.

"Awww." Pinkie Pie replied in a rather disappointed tone.

"How is she Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know Rainbow." Fluttershy replied.

"You gotta help her." the rainbow maned pegasus insisted.

"I'm trying my best Rainbow." Fluttershy whispered.

"That's not good enough Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said rather angrily.

"Rainbow you need to calm down." Twilight Sparkle told her.

"Calm down?" Rainbow Dash asked in a much louder voice than was necessary. "My best friend just got hit with like twenty arrows and you want me to calm down?"

"Look here Rainbow." Applejack said. "Ah know you're worried about her. Ah understand that y'all are concerned but yellin' at Fluttershy or any of us ain't gonna help her."

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath as she replied.

"You're right." she said. "Sorry guys."

"It's okay." Twilight Sparkle told her.

"I wish I could do something to help her." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well for starters you could stop taking your anger out on your friends." Gilda said.

The seven friends stared at Gilda in shock as her eyes fluttered open. Rainbow Dash stood still for a moment and then she tackled Gilda in a hug. She held her best friend in her forelegs with a broad grin on her face.

"You crazy griffon!" she shouted as she held Gilda in one of the tightest hugs that the griffon had ever received in her entire life. "You're so lucky I l-"

Rainbow Dash stopped herself in mid-sentence. A small blush appeared on her face as her mouth closed. She had almost said something very personal in front of all of her friends. Thankfully they were all too stunned by Gilda's sudden return to consciousness that they didn't notice.

"I'm so lucky you what?" Gilda asked playfully.

"You're so lucky I lifted you and carried ya here." Rainbow Dash said hastily. "With Applejack's help." she added.

Gilda grinned at her friends as they smiled at her.

"Ah can't believe ya fought ten griffons at once." Applejack said.

"Those arrows must hurt a lot." Rarity said with a shudder.

"Nah." Gilda replied. "Those guys are pretty bad shots. They didn't hit anything vital."

"I was gonna use a water bucket to wake you up." Pinkie Pie said. "But Twilight told me that that would be a bad idea."

"And she's right." Gilda said. "That would have been a bad idea."

"Are you sure you're all right Gilda?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Oh just spectacular." Gilda replied sarcastically. "Aside from the arrows sticking out of me I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't worry G." Lightning Dust said. "Fluttershy'll get those arrows out of ya."

Fluttershy meanwhile had gotten her supplies and began working on healing Gilda's wounds. Thankfully the arrows were incredibly dull so they barely penetrated beyond the first layer of Gilda's skin. This combined with the horrible accuracy of the griffons would mean that Gilda's injuries were in no way life threatening.

"So did ya make it back all right?" Gilda asked Rainbow Dash.

"Oh yeah." Rainbow Dash said. "No one came after us."

"Good." Gilda replied. "And Princess Luna made it back too right?"

"Yep." Rainbow Dash replied. "She's with Celestia and Spike. Celestia wants to talk to us after we're done here."

"Well that's good." Gilda said as she looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. "I gotta talk to her too. How much longer Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Um I already finished Gilda." Fluttershy replied as she held out a mirror. Gilda stared at her reflection and noticed how all of the arrows were gone and her wounds had been cleaned and there wasn't even a spot of blood. The arrows were just too weak to even cause Gilda to bleed.

"How'd you do that?" she asked. "I didn't feel a thing."

"You were so busy talking you didn't notice." Fluttershy said with a small smile.

Gilda got off of the couch and headed towards the door.

"Come on Dash." she said. "We gotta tell Celestia about what we heard."

The duo walked out of the cottage and their friends followed them. Surprisingly Gilda didn't object. She felt like her friends might need to know this too. The group of eight walked down the streets until they reached Twilight Sparkle's castle. They entered and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting for them inside of the main room. Both of them had very grim expressions on their faces. Everyone sat down around the table as Princess Celestia cleared her throat and spoke.

"It seems that your rescue mission didn't go undetected." she said. "Grifforia is going to declare war on us."

This caused the jaws of everypony in the room to drop. Grifforia was going to start a second war with Equestria.

"I can't believe it." Twilight Sparkle said in a low whisper.

The others shook their heads. They couldn't believe it either.

"I know." Princess Celestia said. "But unfortunately it is going to happen. There will be a war between Equestria and Grifforia. All we can do is prepare ourselves and hope for the best. Their army will come soon."

After discussing what Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna had heard when they had been in Grifforia, The Sun Goddess and The Moon Goddess got up and left the castle. Then Gilda got up and walked over to a wall. She then did something that stunned the others.

"I am such an idiot." she shouted as she banged her head against the wall with every syllable that she uttered.

Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust pulled Gilda away from the wall before she could give herself brain damage.

"Gilda what the hay was that about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I just landed you guys in so much trouble." Gilda said.

"What do you mean G?" Lightning Dust asked.

"I told you that griffons hate ponies." Gilda said. "And griffons that are friends with ponies are worse. Since I'm friends with you guys I'm a traitor. They're gonna go after me and you during this war. You guys are doomed and its all my fault! I am an idiot!"

Gilda looked down towards the ground and cursed herself.

"I'm sorry guys." she said. "I shouldn't have come back. Now it's too late. Even if ya ditch me they'll still go after ya."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash flew towards Gilda and held her in a hug.

"Gilda I'm not gonna ditch ya." Rainbow Dash said. "If those griffons wanna fight ya then I'm gonna fight with ya."

Then the rest of the group gathered around Gilda. All of them assured the griffon that they would stand by her during the war. They weren't going to abandon her just because griffons would hate them. Gilda was completely shocked by how loyal her friends were. She expected them to be angry with her but they were understanding. The brown and white griffon smiled as she allowed herself to be held in the center of a group hug.

"Thanks guys." she said gratefully. "You guys are really awesome friends."

"We're never gonna ditch ya G." Rainbow Dash said while the others nodded in agreement. "We're gonna stick together no matter what."

"I just can't believe there's gonna be a war." Gilda muttered.

The group of ten didn't know what to say to each other. There was going to be a war soon. All of them agreed to fight as hard as they could to defend Equestria. They were not going to let their country fall. Everypony said their good nights and headed off to their houses. Gilda however took to the skies to clear her head. She had a lot on her mind and she needed some time to think.


	6. Chapter 6: The Goddess and The Griffon

**Chapter 6: The Goddess and The Griffon**

Gilda sat down on a cloud by herself. She needed some time to herself. She had just been on an incredibly dangerous rescue mission. While she and Rainbow Dash had managed to save Princess Luna, it came at a cost. Their cover had been blown before they could escape and now Grifforia was going to declare war on Equestria. How Princess Celestia knew about this so soon was a mystery to Gilda. Perhaps she had some spies in Grifforia. Gilda was concerned about what would happen to herself and her friends during this war. Her friends had agreed to stick by her and Gilda was definitely touched by this. However she hated the idea of seeing her friends get hurt for her.

"This is gonna get ugly." Gilda said to herself.

The griffon then thought about Rainbow Dash. The rainbow maned pegasus had been her greatest friend for so long. Gilda also knew that she had started to have new feelings for Rainbow Dash. This had caused her to be even more stressed out than usual. She was certain that Rainbow Dash wouldn't return her feelings. Gilda was scared that the rainbow maned pegasus would abandon her if she revealed her true feelings.

"I just gotta keep my beak shut." Gilda said. "Dash won't stick around me if she finds out."

Gilda sighed and stayed on her cloud. All of a sudden she heard a flutter of wings. She looked behind her and she saw that The Moon Goddess Princess Luna was standing with her on the cloud. The dark blue alicorn was alone and she stared at Gilda as she landed on the cloud.

"May I sit here?" she asked.

Gilda nodded silently and Princess Luna sat down beside her. Her legs folded as she relaxed next to Gilda. The duo sat in silence for a while before Princess Luna spoke up.

"I have to thank you for saving me." the alicorn said.

"You're welcome Your Majesty." Gilda said quickly.

"Please call me Luna." Princess Luna replied.

"Okay then." Gilda said. "You're welcome Luna."

"That rescue was a very good thing that you did." Princess Luna said. "I don't think that I could thank you enough for saving me from that prison."

"It's no big deal." Gilda said.

"I am flattered by your loyalty." Princess Luna said. "But this is not why I came here to speak with you."

"Then what do ya wanna talk about Luna?" Gilda asked curiously.

"I want to talk to you about something I sensed." Princess Luna said. "I sense a conflict inside of your heart. You are faced with an extremely difficult decision are you not?"

Gilda looked confused for a moment but then she smiled.

"If you're talking about the war then you're wrong." Gilda said. "I already made my choice."

"My dear Gilda." Princess Luna said. "I know that you have decided to fight on the side of Equestria. Believe it or not you made that decision a long time ago. When you befriended Rainbow Dash all those years ago you had abandoned the beliefs held by your griffon kin. In a way choosing Rainbow Dash over those beliefs was the same as choosing Equestria over Grifforia."

Gilda's eyes widened a bit. She hadn't thought about that. Princess Luna was definitely right about that. Gilda had pretty much sealed her fate when she became friends with Rainbow Dash. But if Princess Luna wasn't here to discuss the war then what did she want to talk about?

"I sense another conflict within you." Princess Luna said. "One that concerns your friend Rainbow Dash. Or is she more than a friend to you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gilda lied hastily.

"My dear Gilda there is no need to lie." Princess Luna said. "We are alone and I wouldn't dare reveal anything that we talk about while we are here."

Gilda stayed silent. Once again The Moon Goddess was right. There was no point in lying.

"How do you know?" Gilda asked.

"I can sense feelings." Princess Luna explained. "I can sense that you have fallen in love with Rainbow Dash. I know that you are scared that she won't return your feelings or that she might even abandon you because of them." She paused for a moment and then continued. "And I can also tell that you are creeped out by the fact that I know this."

Gilda had a shocked expression on her face. Princess Luna was one hundred percent right. Gilda had been feeling everything that the alicorn had described. The thought of The Moon Goddess being able to sense her feelings was definitely unsettling to the griffon.

"It doesn't matter." Gilda said. "She doesn't feel the same."

"Ah but how do you know that?" Princess Luna asked.

"You mean you know?" Gilda asked as she looked at the alicorn beside her.

"I am afraid that I do not know." Princess Luna said. "I am able to sense feelings but Rainbow Dash is not thinking about any feelings that she might have for you at this time."

"I was right." Gilda said sadly. "I'm just her best friend."

"I never said that she had no feelings for you." Princess Luna assured her. "She just isn't thinking about you at the moment. She might actually return your feelings."

"No she won't." Gilda said. "She'll think I'm weird and then she'll ditch me. She's not gonna hang around me if she thinks I'm in love with her."

"You are speaking out of fear Gilda." Princess Luna said firmly. "You know Rainbow Dash better than that. You know that even if she does not return your feelings she would never abandon you. Her friendship with you would not change in the slightest."

Gilda kept silent as The Moon Goddess continued to speak.

"I know that it can be scary to admit your feelings." she said. "But you will have to do it eventually. It is not good for you to keep those feelings repressed."

"I guess I'm just nervous." Gilda admitted.

"I understand." Princess Luna replied. "It is hard to admit your feelings without knowing how the other feels. I know that you are nervous about this. Do not feel obligated to tell her soon. You alone will know when the time is right."

The duo sat in silence while Gilda thought about what The Moon Goddess had said. Rainbow Dash definitely would not abandon her just because she didn't return her feelings. Gilda realized that Princess Luna was right. She knew Rainbow Dash better than to think that.

"I must return to Canterlot." Princess Luna said. "Goodbye Gilda."

"Goodbye Luna." Gilda replied.

The alicorn took off and headed back to Canterlot. Gilda stayed on her cloud for another moment and then she left and headed back to the cloud castle where she and Rainbow Dash lived. The griffon went inside of her room and saw Rainbow Dash sitting on her bed with a rather impatient look on her face.

"I've been waiting on ya G." Rainbow Dash said. "Where were ya?"

"Just needed some fresh air." Gilda replied as she went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Once this was done she went back into her room to get some much needed sleep.

The griffon laid down in her bed and Rainbow Dash didn't move.

"Hey Gilda." she said. "Do ya mind if I stay here for tonight?"

"Go right ahead Dash." Gilda replied.

Rainbow Dash got herself settled underneath the blanket and she snuggled right next to Gilda. The griffon wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus pony as she nuzzled her head into Gilda's white feathered chest. Gilda liked having her best friend sleeping in her forelegs. Rainbow Dash really liked laying her head against the soft white feathers on Gilda's chest. Both of them were extremely comfortable laying together like this. It wasn't weird for them since they had done this sort of thing whenever one of them needed to be comforted by the other.

"Good night Dash." Gilda said.

"Good night G." Rainbow Dash replied.

The duo then fell into a very peaceful sleep. They both had content smiles on their faces as they fell asleep in each other's embrace. Neither of them revealed their true feelings for the other. Both of the fliers were doubtful that those feelings would be returned. Gilda and Rainbow Dash were happy to be together like this. All thoughts of the war and the dangers that lay ahead for them were gone from their minds as they relaxed with each other. Each of them took comfort in the presence of the other.


	7. Chapter 7: Preparing For War

**Chapter 7: Preparing For War**

Gilda and Rainbow Dash woke up the next day and they blushed furiously when they realized how close together they were. The two fliers were right on top of each other. They had fallen asleep in each other's forelegs and they had only gotten closer overnight. The two fliers quickly got out of Gilda's griffon shaped bed and went into the kitchen for some breakfast. They cooked up two simple plates of hay fries and sat down at Rainbow Dash's table. The two fliers ate in silence. They thought about the war but then they started to think about each other.

_I can't believe I slept next to her last night. _Rainbow Dash thought. _There's no way she loves me. I'm just her best friend and that's all I'm ever gonna be._

_Should I tell her? _Gilda wondered. _Dash wouldn't abandon me. But what if she doesn't love me? We couldn't go back to normal if I blurted it out. I can't just say I love her and act like nothing happened._

The two fliers finished their breakfast and they washed their dishes. Trying to have a conversation was a bit awkward for the duo since they had slept so close together during the previous night. Finally Rainbow Dash managed to speak to her best friend.

"So G." Rainbow Dash began. "You think this war's gonna happen?"

"There's no way around it Dash." Gilda replied, feeling relieved that the rainbow maned pegasus wasn't talking about what had happened the night before. "We just gotta kick their tails and not get our tails kicked."

"I'm gonna show those griffons what they're messing with." Rainbow Dash said confidently.

"And I'm gonna show 'em my Seismic Slam." Gilda said eagerly. "They're not gonna win this."

The two fliers stared at each other for a moment before they spoke. Their confident grins had quickly faded away and then they were replaced by looks of extreme worry.

"You're nervous aren't ya G?" Rainbow Dash asked quietly.

"Yeah." Gilda replied honestly. "This is gonna be a tough one."

The duo left the cloud castle and headed into the streets of Ponyville. Every single pony that was walking through town had a serious expression on his or her face. All of them knew about how Grifforia had declared war on Equestria. The faces of the townsponies showed nervousness, discomfort, and fear. Gilda and Rainbow Dash tried their hardest to keep themselves calm as they walked to Twilight Sparkle's castle. They were going to meet with Princess Celestia as well as Princess Luna to discuss the plans for the war. Neither of them knew what to expect. They had had no idea what the plans would be. They didn't even know who would be leading them during the war. The way that the duo saw it, they were doomed to lose this war.

When they arrived at the castle they saw all of their friends seated around the table. Princess Celestia sat at the head of the table as the two fliers took their seats. The tension in the room was as dense as ground fog. There wasn't even one single face in the room that was showing any emotions besides nervous apprehension. Everypony turned towards The Sun Goddess and waited for her to begin speaking. Every one of the ten friends was wondering what she was going to say. All of them hoped that The Sun Goddess had a plan in her mind.

"Dark times are upon us." she said. "A war shall begin soon and Equestria must be prepared. I have summoned all of Canterlot's guards to Ponyville in an attempt to raise an army."

"Why here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What if the griffons attack somewhere else?" Twilight Sparkle wondered.

"My sources have assured me that their target is Ponyville." Princess Celestia said much to the surprise of the ponies that were sitting at the table. They didn't know that Princess Celestia had a spy. "I have a griffon that is willing to fight on our side. He will join us today but right now he is busy gathering as many allies as he can."

This announcement was met with a minute's silence. The ten friends felt a little bit relieved. At the very least they had an army ready. Who the leader would be and what the plans were hadn't been figured out yet. Every one of them looked at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and hoped that their worries would be calmed.

"So what are we gonna do?" Lightning Dust asked.

"We can't just sit here." Rarity said.

"We need a plan." Spike said.

"What we need is a leader." Princess Celestia said.

"And I think we have one right here." Princess Luna continued.

The group of ten stared curiously at the two princesses as they continued. Who would be their leader? Did The Sun Goddess and The Moon Goddess have a plan?

"Gilda." Princess Celestia said as she looked the griffon in the eyes. "We want you to lead our army through the war."

"Do you accept your position as General Gilda?" Princess Luna asked as she waited for Gilda's response.

"Me?" Gilda asked in a stunned tone as her friends stared at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws. They couldn't believe that the two princesses were offering the position of general to Gilda. "You want _me _to be the general?"

"I could not think of anypony better." Princess Celestia said honestly with a faint smile on her face.

"You are the best fighter." Princess Luna agreed. "Someone like you would be a natural leader in times like these."

Gilda looked completely shocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They wanted her to lead Equestria in the fight against Grifforia. The brown and white griffon didn't know what to say. She was being given a very important position and she would be the one responsible for leading her army to victory. Gilda wondered if she was going to be able to handle such a difficult task. She looked at her friends and they all seemed to agree with the decision being made by the two princesses. Gilda's mind was set when she saw how her friends looked to her like a leader.

"I'll do it." Gilda said in a voice of fierce determination much to her friends' approval.

"Excellent." Princess Celestia replied with what looked like a grin.

"We shall leave you to think of a battle plan." Princess Luna said.

With that, the two alicorns left Twilight Sparkle's castle, leaving some eight very stunned ponies, one shocked dragon, and one astonished griffon in their wake. Gilda had now been appointed as the general of Equestria's army for the war that was fast approaching. Immediately everypony looked to Gilda for a plan.

"So what's the plan G?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Whatever ya want us to do we'll do it." Lightning Dust declared.

"Ah'll do everything that Ah can ta help." Applejack agreed.

"I assure you that I shall give my absolute best efforts during this war." Rarity said.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is eager to hear your plan." Trixie said with a smile.

"I know that you can lead us Gilda." Fluttershy whispered.

"I won't let my BPGFF down." Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she made a Pinkie Promise.

"We're gonna take those griffons down." Spike said enthusiastically.

"You're definitely the best choice Gilda." Twilight Sparkle told the griffon.

Gilda couldn't believe what she was hearing. All of her friends were willing to fight for her. All of them were going to put everything they had into winning this war. Gilda had never expected to see anything like this from her friends. Most of them weren't fighters and yet all of them were willing to put their lives on the line to defend Equestria.

_And I'm gonna be their leader. _Gilda thought to herself. The griffon realized that this was indeed for the best.

"I think I can come up with something." she said. "I know everything about Grifforia's fighting style."

"And how do ya know that G?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"'Cause my father took me to their training area every week." Gilda replied. "Wanted to turn me into a soldier."

Everypony in the room was stunned by this. Granted they had known that Gilda's relationship with her parents wasn't good by any means, but they had never expected this. The nine friends were stunned that Gilda's father had tried to turn the griffon into a soldier for Grifforia. Before the nine friends could say anything, they were joined by Shining Armor. The unicorn male told them that he needed to show Gilda the army that she'd be in command of. The griffon followed him as her friends followed her. They walked to an empty field and Gilda was fairly impressed by what she saw waiting for her.

Equestria's army consisted of roughly one hundred earth ponies, sixty pegasi, and thirty nine unicorns. Only one in every five members was male so majority of the army was female. Every single pony stood tall and proud. Every single one of them was ready to serve Gilda during the war.

"They're waiting for your orders." Shining Armor said. "General Gilda."

With that, Shining Armor joined the massive crowd of ponies and stood tall next to his fellow unicorns. Gilda was completely stunned. Every one of these ponies was loyal to her despite the fact that she was a griffon. Not a single face showed any sort of mistrust. Gilda wasn't certain of what to do so she instructed the ponies to train while she thought of a battle plan. The army of two hundred saluted as they got down to some practice. Gilda walked away with her nine friends following behind her. The group of ten sat down at a table outside of SugarCube Corner while Gilda tried to think of a plan.

"Can't believe I'm in charge." she muttered to herself.

Her nine friends assured her that she'd make an excellent leader and that they were going to support her one hundred percent. Each and every one of them had confidence in Gilda's leadership capabilities. The brown and white griffon smiled slightly as she heard the praise of her friends. This was something that she had never gotten when she had lived in Grifforia. None of the griffons there were as kind as the ponies that Gilda had met in Ponyville. All of a sudden they were joined by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"So how are things coming along?" The Sun Goddess asked.

"Trying to figure out a plan." Gilda replied.

"Do not worry General Gilda." The Moon Goddess said soothingly. "I am certain that you shall think of something."

"In the meantime we have some important news." Princess Celestia said.

Gilda looked the two alicorns in the eyes as she waited patiently to hear what they had to say.

"We have some very troubling news for you." Princess Luna said gravely.

"This war is being started by your father. "Princess Celestia said somberly. "He is Grifforia's general."

Gilda felt the bottom of her stomach drop along with the jaws of her friends. Her father was the one that was leading the assault against her home and her friends. The brown and white griffon was enraged. This made her so angry that she could hardly think straight.

"Should have figured." she muttered. "Only he would start a fight with us."

"There is something else that you should know." The Moon Goddess continued.

"We have learned that the weapon that Grifforia is using has been designed by your mother." The Sun Goddess said in a somber and heavy tone.

Gilda's eyes widened in shock. Her own parents were the ones that were trying to destroy her home and her friends. This was beyond what she had expected. She had known that her parents hated ponies but this was just plain crazy. They were starting a war and using some kind of weapon against them.

"Anymore good news?" Gilda asked sarcastically.

"Actually there is some good news." Princess Luna told her. "Our ally has finally arrived and he has brought his own army with him to help us with our fight."

"Well that's good to hear." Gilda said in a relieved tone. "So where is he?"

"Right here." a male voice replied.

The two alicorns moved aside and Gilda's eyes narrowed in anger when she saw who she was looking at. A muscular griffon with a dark brown body and jet black wings. His head had black feathers with bold red highlights. The scar running down his left eye stood out and Gilda knew exactly who she was looking at.

"You!" she said in an enraged tone as she stood up from her seat and glared at her arch enemy Grayback.


	8. Chapter 8: A Temporary Truce

**Chapter 8: A Temporary Truce**

Gilda glared at the black and brown griffon that stood before her. Her golden yellow eyes were narrowed in intense dislike as she stared at the griffon that she hated. Grayback answered her glare with an arrogant smirk. Gilda's friends were not pleased to see him in the slightest. They distinctly remembered the last two times they had come into contact with him. Their first encounter was when he and his friends had attacked their town and injured Lightning Dust. Their second meeting wasn't much better as it involved him attacking their friends and trying to capture Twilight Sparkle and sell her for ransom.

"Well it's nice to see you too Gilda." he said sarcastically.

"As if I didn't have enough problems already." Gilda spat. "With all due respect Your Majesty why would you bring _him _here? He's not much better than the griffons we're gonna fight."

"Gilda I understand your concerns." Princess Celestia replied. "Unfortunately this is necessary."

"Sometimes you will have to work with others that you do not particularly care for in order to defeat a common enemy." Princess Luna agreed.

"And why would you help us?" Gilda demanded of Grayback. "I thought for sure you'd be helping those griffons."

Grayback smirked a little as he responded. The arrogant griffon hadn't changed a bit.

"Well Gilda." he said. "I don't really like you but you and I are in the same boat."

"What do you mean?" Gilda growled.

"I'm saying that those griffons think I'm a traitor." Grayback explained. "Since I work with ponies they think I'm just like them. I don't really want to work with you but if it'll keep me out of trouble with them then I'll suck it up and deal with it."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Gilda asked sarcastically.

"Wouldn't expect you to." Grayback replied. "I know we're not gonna be friends but how about a truce? Just until this war's over."

Grayback stuck out his front right leg and waited to see if Gilda would accept his offer. Gilda glared at him with an expression of intense dislike and deep mistrust. However she gripped his talons with her own and shook.

"All right." she said. "We'll work together. But once this war's over you better get outta here. Got it?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Grayback replied with his usual arrogant smirk. "So why don't I introduce you to your temporary army?"

Grayback let out a roar and instantly a crowd formed in front of him. Gilda didn't like him but she couldn't help but be impressed at how much control he had over his troops. Grayback's army consisted of fifty muscular earth ponies, thirty swift pegasi, twenty unicorns, and twenty griffons. Unlike the Equestrian army which was mainly female, majority of Grayback's army had been male. Only one in five soldiers were female. Psyke, Monochrome, and Chunker were also there and they stood at the front of the crowd acting like lieutenants in a way.

"All right listen up." Grayback said. "You know that we're in a war right?"

"Sir yes sir!" the army replied.

"You know what will happen if we lose?" Grayback asked.

"Sir yes sir!" they said again.

"Until this war is over you will obey Gilda." Grayback said. "We might have had our issues with her before but I expect you to take each and every one of her orders as if they were mine. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir yes sir!" the army replied.

Grayback nodded in satisfaction and then he turned to Gilda.

"They're all yours General Gilda." he said as he took his place next to Psyke.

Gilda instructed them to train with the rest of the army. The entire group including Grayback saluted her and then they followed her orders obediently.

"Are we seriously gonna work with them G?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah I mean they attacked us twice!" Lightning Dust agreed.

"Can we really trust that brute?" Rarity inquired.

"Ah don't like this one bit Gilda." Applejack said.

"I don't wanna work with that Meany McMeanPants." Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"He's horrible." Fluttershy whispered with a slight shudder.

"I don't trust him one bit." Spike declared angrily.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie agrees with Spike." Trixie agreed. "That scoundrel is not to be trusted."

"Are you sure about this Gilda?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Guys I know you don't like him." Gilda said. "But he's got just as much to lose as we do. I don't want to work with him anymore than you do but that kind of army will give us a better shot of winning. I know it's bad working with him but we just gotta deal with it."

The nine friends frowned but they accepted Gilda's statement. Like it or not they were going to have to work with Grayback and his team. The army that he supplied would give their chances of winning a serious boost. All of them hated the idea of working with the griffon that had wronged them before but they knew that it had to be done for the sake of themselves and all of Equestria. They walked to the field and watched the massive army train. While they seemed fast and strong they were highly disorganized. Gilda knew that she couldn't handle an army of that size on her own. She huddled with her friends and had a whispered discussion.

During this discussion Gilda explained the tactics of the Grifforian Army to her friends. The Grifforian Army consisted of four groups. The first group was the infantry which consisted of a large amount of griffons with similar builds to Gilda. They weren't strong but their numbers would be massive. The second wave consisted of a smaller amount of much more powerful griffons known as the elite corps. They had a lot more muscle than most griffons which was used to their advantage. The third wave was known as Special Ops. These griffons were trained to walk and fight on their hind legs. Instead of punching or kicking, they would be equipped with sharp blades. Gilda said that their fourth and final wave was the most dangerous of all: The Boulder Barrage.

The Boulder Barrage consisted of the smallest army of the four. However this attack was always the most devastating. What would happen was that the griffons would fly towards their opponents in a cluster. Each and every one of them would be carrying a fairly large boulder. Once they were in position they would drop their boulders on their targets in an attempt to totally obliterate them. This attack had helped Grifforia win a number of battles during the first war. The one thing Gilda was concerned about more than anything was the secret weapon that Grifforia had.

Gilda had very little knowledge about Grifforia's secret weapon. The conversation that she had heard didn't give her much insight about it. All Gilda knew was that it was supposedly extremely devastating for Equestria. Suddenly the group was joined by Grayback. The dark brown griffon had information about the weapon. He said that it was a huge flying machine that could send down a massive army of griffons. These griffons however were not like any normal griffons. They were made of metal and were referred to as robots. The only way to stop them was to destroy the machine. Grayback had a team that was working on a way to bring it down.

Gilda checked on the team's progress and they said that it would take four griffons or pegasi to bring down Grifforia's secret weapon. This was due to the fact that it had four weak spots at different areas. Gilda decided to have her friends lead the army as she went to take down the weapon.

"Okay guys here's the plan." she said. "AJ you're gonna lead the earth ponies. Your job is to beat the infantry."

Applejack nodded as she understood.

Gilda called up the pegasus pony that had been Grayback's lieutenant during the treasure incident. Gilda appointed him in charge of the pegasi and instructed him to focus on the elite corps.

"Rarity." Gilda said. "You're in charge of the unicorns. You gotta beat the Special Ops. Got it?"

Rarity nodded in assurance and said that she'd do her job.

"Pinkie." Gilda asked. "How many of those party cannons do ya got?"

"I have tons and tons of 'em." Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically.

"Good." Gilda replied. "We're gonna need 'em."

Gilda instructed Pinkie Pie to have her cannons enlarged and to increase their power.

"We're gonna use 'em when they start dropping those boulders." Gilda explained. "We're gonna blast those guys outta the sky. Rarity you and the unicorns gotta make sure that those boulders don't hit anything. Use your magic to slow 'em down and then AJ and the earth ponies will move 'em outta the way."

Rarity and Applejack nodded. They were all set on the plan.

"What about the weapon?" Spike asked curiously.

"I'm getting to that." Gilda said. "We need four to take it down. Dash, Lightning, Twi, you guys are with me. We're gonna bring that weapon down."

The trio nodded as they understood the plan. Gilda told her lieutenants to meet with their armies and explain their part of the plan to them. The brown and white griffon watched as her army trained. This was going to be a very difficult situation for her. Gilda couldn't believe that she was in charge of the army. It seemed like just yesterday that she had been singing in SugarCube Corner in an attempt to earn back Rainbow Dash's friendship. Time had certainly flown by and things had definitely changed. This war would be dangerous. Gilda could only hope that her army would be able to end it quickly before anyone got seriously hurt.


	9. Chapter 9: The War Begins

**Chapter 9: The War Begins**

Throughout the course of the week Gilda and her army trained as hard as they could for every single minute of every day. There was a lot on the line for this war. None of them could afford to lose this battle. After a week of very intense training and planning, the day arrived and Gilda was feeling extremely nervous. Grayback had been able to get a lot of information about Grifforia's war strategy before his cover was blown. From what he said they would be attacking at noon today. Gilda had three hours before war would come and she would have to lead her army to victory. Her friends and all of Equestria were depending on her. Their fate would lie in her claws. Gilda was beyond scared. She was flat out terrified. This was possibly the most important day of her life.

"This is it." she said to herself. "No turning back."

She walked out of her bedroom and entered the kitchen. In this room she saw Rainbow Dash. Both of the fliers had struggled to even get two words out of their mouths. The situation they were in had a firm grip on their minds. Gilda and Rainbow Dash didn't say a word to each other as they prepared a light breakfast for themselves and sat down at the table. Neither of them had ever truly realized how beautiful Rainbow Dash's cloud castle was. This war was a very big moment for them.

_How did it get so bad? _Gilda thought to herself.

Gilda still couldn't believe that war had truly come to such a peaceful town. How had it gotten to this point. Gilda was sure that something like this couldn't be happening. Any minute now she'd wake up and realize that this was all just some crazy nightmare. Gilda closed her eyes and when she opened them she hadn't moved. It had been a foolish thing for her to think but still the griffon couldn't help but hope that she had been imagining this war.

Gilda and Rainbow Dash ate their breakfast in silence. What could they even say to each other? War was coming and they would have to be ready to fight. The two fliers were best friends and now they would have to rely on each other in order to stay alive. The duo left the cloud castle and arrived at the training area. They saw the army running through their various exercises like usual. They called an early end to the training to allow their soldiers to conserve as much of their energy as they could. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle met up to discuss their plans for the war.

The foursome was going to have the toughest and most important task of all. They were going to have to bring down Grifforia's weapon. Their plan was that when it appeared they would fly up to it and get inside. Once they were inside of the giant war machine they would split up and find the four weak spots. One of Grayback's griffons had given them objects that would explode when a switch was pressed. He said that if all four of them exploded on the weak points then the war machine would be destroyed. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle knew that this was an extremely dangerous operation but it was necessary. Bringing down that weapon would certainly end the war between Equestria and Grifforia.

It was now thirty minutes to noon. The entire Equestrian army marched their way through Ponyville. The ponies who weren't participating in the war had already been escorted to safety so at the very least no innocent lives would be lost during the battle. Gilda waited at the back of her army with her lieutenants. Grayback and his team stayed with her to provide support for when Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle started their attack on Grifforia's weapon. Applejack stood behind the army of one hundred and fifty earth ponies that would fight against Grifforia's infantry. Suddenly a huge cloud appeared in the sky. Pinkie Pie used her binoculars and saw that they were in fact griffons. The Grifforian Army landed down and faced against Equestria's army. Two hundred griffons made up the infantry. An armored griffon cupped his claws around his beak and spoke to the ponies before him.

"Give up." he said. "You guys don't even have a chance at winning. Why don't ya save yourselves the humiliation of getting demolished and just let us takeover your pathetic country?"

Applejack gave Gilda a glance as if awaiting instruction and Gilda shook her head.

"Don't listen to him." Gilda said. "We're gonna fight and we're gonna win."

The cowgirl nodded and then her army let out a thunderous shout in response. There was no way that they were going to give up. They were going to fight against Grifforia and they were going to win. They knew that it would be better for them to fight and lose than to surrender and be taken as slaves by Grifforia. They could not give up because the safety and lives of the entire country of Equestria was relying on them. If they couldn't defeat the Grifforian army here then they would steamroller their homes and take over Equestria. The griffon leader glared at his enemies and shook his head with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"I tried to give ya a chance to give up." the griffon said. Then he sprang to his hind legs and roared to his army of two hundred soldiers. "CHARGE!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs as his griffons roared with him.

The two hundred griffons ran forwards and they were met by the one hundred and fifty earth ponies. The two forces charged towards each other and then they met in the middle of town. The battle between Equestria and Grifforia had finally begun. This would decide the fate of the every single pony in Equestria. The earth ponies used their strength to quickly defeat the griffons. However the griffons themselves were also fairly powerful. Thankfully these griffons were the infantry which didn't get much training compared to others. The slight number advantage didn't mean much since their fighting prowess wasn't very good. Applejack commanded her army expertly despite having very little training. She might have been a peaceful sort of pony but she was able to take charge when it counted.

"Come on y'all." she said. "Let's give 'em a tail whuppin' Ponyville style."

The earth ponies battled against the griffons. Big Macintosh had used his muscular build to defeat a rather impressive number of enemy griffons. The griffons fought back and managed to punch out a few ponies. However for every single pony that collapsed, four or five griffons were taken down. The griffons that made up the infantry had been given some very poor training since they didn't even think to use their claws which would have been much more threatening. The griffon leader was completely stunned by how his army was being picked apart by the ponies. This was not what he had been imagining would happen.

"This isn't right." he shouted. "Those wimpy ponies shouldn't be this good. They can't beat us like this."

Applejack fought her way towards the leader of the infantry and fought against him. He may have been armored but the orange cowgirl pony's hind legs had been strengthened from years of physical labor. Applejack dodged his many punches and kicks as she retaliated with her own attacks. Finally with an almighty kick, she cracked his armor and it split apart into pieces and fell to the ground. Applejack was then able to quickly take him down. Soon afterwards the remaining griffons fell and the infantry had been beaten.

"How's that for a bunch of wimpy ponies?" she asked as she smirked at the griffon leader who had gotten back up off of the ground. He glared at Applejack but he realized that he had had no chance of defeating the earth ponies.

"Fall back!" the leader shouted. "Let them see what else we've got. They got lucky this time."

The two hundred griffons escaped and for a while there was peace. Applejack and her soldiers relaxed. Fluttershy, Nurse Redheart, as well as a number of volunteers healed the ponies who had been injured during the battle. The injuries were relatively minor since the griffons didn't even use their claws during the fight. Anypony who had been injured was quickly treated and they felt good as new. Gilda waited anxiously for the second wave of Grifforia's army. Her friends looked satisfied but Gilda gave them a look.

"Don't get excited." she said. "We're just getting started."

Gilda was absolutely right about this statement. The battle had only just begun. There were still three more waves of griffons as well as that secret weapon to deal with before there was a chance of the war ending. This was going to be a very dangerous situation. Every pony knew that there would be no easy way to end the conflict.


	10. Chapter 10: The Second Wave

**Chapter 10: The Second Wave**

There was a decent bit of time before Grifforia launched their second wave of fighters. Gilda stood behind her army waiting in anticipation. She knew what was next for this war. Grifforia was going to send out what they referred to as brute griffons. These ones were much larger and more powerful than most griffons. Compared to most griffons they were like Big Macintosh compared to the average pony. It might have seemed like a risky move to send pegasi to go up against them but Gilda knew that the brute griffons were rather slow. She knew that the pegasi of Ponyville would be more than a match for them.

"Ya think we can win this G?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We won't know till it's over Dash." Gilda replied honestly. She was not going to jinx it by getting overconfident. While she knew what the next few waves were Gilda didn't know much about Grifforia's secret weapon was. She also knew that the griffons that they were fighting weren't pushovers like the infantry had been. Defeating the next three waves of enemies would be difficult and the weapon was still haunting Gilda's mind.

"There they are!" Lightning Dust yelled as she pointed to a mass of griffons in the distance.

Gilda looked and sure enough Lightning Dust was right. The brute griffons were making their way towards them. Gilda looked at her lieutenant and nodded.

"Get ready." she told him. "These guys are gonna be tough."

Grayback's pegasus nodded and he gave his orders to his soldiers. Every single pegasus was ready for the fight that was waiting for them. All of them took to the sky and were prepared to strike at any moment. The army of muscular griffons charged towards them and they were soon met by Ponyville's pegasi army. The flying ponies dive bombed the powerful griffons and then the second phase of the fight began.

The brute griffons truly lived up to their name as they pummeled their opponents. The pegasi were fast but they weren't the strongest of ponies. A good punch or two from those griffons would take them down. However the flying ponies refused to give up. Ponyville and all of Equestria was relying on them. They were determined to win this battle for the safety of ponies everywhere.

"Don't hold back." the pegasus lieutenant shouted. "We are not going down without a fight!"

"No mercy!" the griffon commander shouted. "Show those mules we mean business!"

The pegasi and griffons charged towards each other once again. Ponyville's army had been angered by the insult that had been directed at them. That griffon had called them mules. That was one of the most hurtful thing that they had ever heard in their lives. This lit a fire inside of them and pushed them to take their opponents down. The pegasi had found new strength from their determination. The griffons were powerful but the pegasi used their far superior speed and agility to dodge past them and strike quickly. The muscular half lion half eagle creatures fell one after the other.

"That's it!" the pegasus shouted to his troops. "Show these guys what they're messing with! We'll see who the mules are when this is all over!"

His team responded and kept on fighting. They were going to take their enemies down. The griffons kept falling and the pegasus lieutenant met the griffon commander and the duo engaged in a fierce battle. The griffon was heavily armored but that slowed him down even more than usual. The pegasus leader used a variety of tactics to take his enemy down. The griffon couldn't keep up and eventually he called his troops off.

"Back off!" he shouted. "Let's see how they handle the special ops."

The brute griffons fled from the area and retreated back to wherever they had come from. Fluttershy and her team of healers did what they could for the wounded pegasi. None of them had taken any serious injury thanks to their ability to dodge past most of the more devastating hits that the griffons tried to land on them. Rainbow Dash looked very pleased by how the war was going.

"Can ya believe it G?" she asked excitedly. "We're mopping the floor with them!"

"Don't party yet Dash." Gilda said seriously. "We're not in the clear till they give up."

"Come on G." Lightning Dust said. "We've got them running scared. They're not gonna stand a chance against us."

Gilda stayed silent and tried not to get overconfident. While the battle was going extremely well Gilda knew that it was far from over. There was still another wave of soldiers, the Boulder Barrage, and the secret weapon to go before there was any chance of the war ending. Gilda was also dreading the inevitable conflict between herself and her parents. From the moment that she learned that they were the leaders of this war, Gilda knew that she would have to fight against her parents. The brown and white griffon knew that such a battle was going to happen and she would have to prepare herself for when it came.


	11. Chapter 11: The Third Wave

**Chapter 11: The Third Wave**

All was silent in Ponyville as Equestria's army waited for the next wave of opponents, Fluttershy and some other ponies were busy taking care of the few pegasi that had been injured during the battle against the brute griffons. The second wave of the war had gone rather smoothly for Equestria. Only a handful of pegasi had actually gotten hurt and even then their injuries were mostly minor. Gilda knew that she should be proud about how well things were going but she didn't want to get overconfident. She was paranoid about jinxing Equestria's chances by being cocky.

"Two down two to go." Rainbow Dash said excitedly as she watched the absolute last of the brute griffons fly off into the distance to retreat from Equestria's pegasus population.

"We're not done yet Dash." Gilda warned her. "These guys still have a lot more tricks left."

"G you need to lighten up a bit." Lightning Dust told her.

"We are doing pretty well." Twilight Sparkle agreed.

"Ah didn't think that it'd be so easy." Applejack admitted.

"Ya gotta admit Gilda." Grayback said. "We're taking those guys down without breaking a sweat."

Gilda glared at her friends and Grayback in frustration. They thought that the war had already pretty much ended even though they were hardly half way done. There was still another two waves of soldiers plus the secret weapon before there was any chance of the battle ending. Why couldn't they see that?

"Just 'cause we're beating them doesn't mean we won." Gilda said seriously. "There's still a lot more to go."

The group stayed silent as they waited for Grifforia to make their next move. Rarity stood with her army of unicorns and she was ready to lead them into battle. From what they had heard, Grifforia would most likely send their third wave of soldiers known as Special Ops. Their swords were dangerous but the magical powers of the unicorns would hopefully be more than a match for them. Trixie was preparing herself as well since she'd be fighting alongside the unicorns to protect Equestria. Suddenly Gilda's eyes narrowed as she looked into the distance. Grifforia had sent out their third wave of fighters.

The griffons that made up the Special Ops were much different than other griffons. For one thing they were walking on their hind legs rather than on all fours. Their clawed forelegs were gripping sharp swords with which they could attack their enemies. They wore very light armor which could be easily shattered by the unicorns. These griffons were lighter than the infantry and the brute griffons but they were definitely faster and more agile than them. They made their way to the ponies as Rarity waited with her forces. The white unicorn was wearing a green hat on her head to look dressed for the war that she was fighting. The two opposing armies stared angrily at each other before the griffon leader shouted his command.

"CHARGE!" the griffon lieutenant roared.

Instantly the griffons ran towards the unicorns who stood still and waited. Rarity was taking her time and was waiting for the proper moment. The horns of every single unicorn glowed as they all took aim at the griffons. Rarity waited for a few more moments and then made her command.

"Fire!" she yelled.

Instantly the unicorns all fired bursts of magic at the griffons. The colorful bolts of magic didn't hurt the half lion half eagle creatures but it did shatter their armor. The lightweight silvery metal material was made to withstand brute force but not magic. The armor was effortlessly split apart by the magic of the unicorns. The griffons stood in shock but then they continued their charge as the unicorns fought against them.

"Take them down!" the griffon officer roared. "These mules got lucky before but we're gonna beat 'em this time."

"How dare you?" Rarity yelled. "We are not mules!"

The unicorns, angered by the insult, fought brutally against the griffons. Their magic was clearly doing its job as many griffons fell after taking only one or two hits. Their speed and agility was formidable but they were incredibly weak compared to most griffons or even most ponies. Trixie had pushed up her hat and she was firing bolts of magic at every griffon that she saw.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie laughs at your futile attacks!" Trixie shouted as she defeated yet another griffon.

Rarity fought against some more griffons as she tried to make her way towards the leader of the forces. However she got surrounded by seven griffons and was cut off from any help. It looked like all hope was lost but then one of the griffons was sent flying by a bolt of magic.

"Leave her alone!" Spike shouted as he charged towards the griffons and fired magic blasts from his sword at them. His bold red cape fluttered in the breeze as he took down more of the griffons that were attacking Rarity. The young dragon and the white unicorn fought side by side until the last of the seven griffons fell to the ground. Rarity thanked Spike by lifting his helmet and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran towards the lieutenant. Spike continued his fight against the griffons as they tried to fight against him and the unicorns.

Rarity met with the leader of the Special Ops and the duo began to fight. The griffons swords slashed at Rarity but she was able to dodge past them and retaliate with her magic. She managed to shatter one of his swords as well as the remains of his armor. The griffon leader was only holding one sword and he was getting very frustrated.

"Just give up already!" he snarled. "There's no way a bunch of mules like you are gonna win anyway!"

"Mules? MULES?" Rarity shouted. "You rude uncivilized brute! I shall not surrender after hearing such horrible insults against myself and my friends!"

The two of them continued their duel as Rarity dodged past his attacks. The fashionista unicorn clearly was not a pushover as she dodged the griffons slashes and fought back with her magical attacks. The griffons sword brushed just above her head and sliced her hat in half.

The glare that Rarity gave the griffon was something so intense that it would make grown stallions shake with fright. In a low and dangerous voice, Rarity spoke to her enemy.

"It. is. ON!" she shouted as she blasted the griffon with more attacks.

The griffon lieutenant couldn't keep up with the powerful attacks that Rarity was sending towards him. He took hit after hit after hit from the white unicorn. His sword was knocked from his grasp and then destroyed before he could retrieve it. The griffon escaped from Rarity and signaled to his troops to retreat.

"Retreat!" he shouted. "Let's see them handle The Boulder Barrage!"

The Special Ops griffons ran away from the unicorns and they disappeared into the distance. They weren't even running on their hind legs. They were so scared of the ponies that they were on all fours as they desperately tried to escape from their enemies. Rarity and her army went back to get their wounds treated. Surprisingly not a single one of the unicorns had taken a hit.

"Guess the only casualty here is Rarity's hat." Rainbow Dash said jokingly as she received a rather angry look from the white unicorn as a result.

"Told ya we were kickin' their tails G." Lightning Dust said proudly.

Gilda remained silent and studied the horizon. The three waves of soldiers were defeated and now only The Boulder Barrage and the secret weapon remained. Gilda couldn't help but hope that maybe they could win this war after all. Maybe they had a better chance than she had thought. Still she wasn't going to let herself get too confident. The war wasn't over until the griffons surrendered.


	12. Chapter 12: The Boulder Barrage

**Chapter 12: The Boulder Barrage**

For the fourth time that day Equestria's army was waiting to see what Grifforia would send after them next. They had handily defeated three waves of soldiers while sustaining very few injuries none of which were major or fatal. The morale was at an all time high when they had realized that they had defeated the third wave without anypony being hurt at all. They felt like this war was going to be over soon and they would definitely be victorious. Gilda however was feeling much different than the others.

While the griffon couldn't deny that Equestria was doing an excellent job of fending off Grifforia's forces, she was trying to keep herself from getting overconfident. Gilda didn't want to get cocky out of fear that such an action would cause Equestria to be defeated. Gilda also knew that while the first three waves had been beaten with little to no difficulty the same would not be true for what was in store. Gilda wasn't just worried about the secret weapon that Grifforia had in store for them, she was also very nervous about seeing The Boulder Barrage.

The Boulder Barrage was one of the tactics that Gilda was most afraid of and for good reason. That single move had won Grifforia a number of battles during the first war fifty years ago. It had caused widespread destruction, injury, and even death at times. Gilda knew that this attack would be highly difficult to counter even with a good plan. Gilda had a plan but it was incredibly risky. Then again anything involving Pinkie Pie's party cannons was naturally risky.

Gilda's plan was to use Pinkie Pie's party cannons to launch giant water balloons at the griffons before they could drop their boulders on Equestria's army. While water balloons might have seemed like a weak weapon, Gilda knew that all griffons had a natural fear of water so using them would be highly effective. When the water balloons hit, the griffons would most likely drop their boulders at which point the unicorns would levitate them slowly downwards where the earth ponies would carry them off so that nopony would get injured and property damage would be kept to a minimum. However this plan was incredibly risky since Gilda needed to fire the cannons at the absolute perfect moment.

The brown and white griffon's golden yellow eyes scanned the skies as she waited to see the unmistakeable sight of Grifforia's most dangerous formation. Grayback had his team of griffons at the ready in case any of Grifforia's troops managed to dodge Equestria's attack. Gilda waited in anxiety for the griffons to begin their attack. This would be a very important part of the war. Preventing The Boulder Barrage from being successful could cause Grifforia to realize that this war was a lost cause and surrender. It was a very slim chance but it was a chance nonetheless.

The ponies of Equestria waited in silence as they tried to keep a grasp on their emotions. Despite their confidence, they knew that this attack was dangerous and not something to be taken lightly. They knew that The Boulder Barrage could cause some serious destruction and devastation to Ponyville as well as its citizens. All of them looked upwards towards the sky as they waited for the moment to arrive.

"Do ya think they're gonna give up G?" Rainbow Dash asked her best friend.

"Not a chance Dash." Gilda replied solemnly. "These guys wanna win and they won't back down. We're in for a fight and they're gonna give it to us."

Rainbow Dash nodded as she continued to gaze at the sky with her best friend. Pinkie Pie had already loaded all of her cannons with water balloons. She along with some others had been able to modify the cannons to increase their size as well as the power with which they would launch the projectiles. The cannons were now so large that a grown pony or even a griffon could fit inside of one relatively comfortably. The cannons were so powerful that even a muscular and heavy stallion like Big Macintosh could still be launched a respectable distance and height. Gilda was certain that the cannons would be able to take down the griffons but she was still nervous.

"Maybe they've chickened out." Lightning Dust suggested hopefully.

"And why would they do that?" Rarity asked.

"'Cause one of 'em's walking up to us right now." Lightning Dust replied.

The rest of them looked and saw that the daredevil was right. A lone griffon was walking up to them. He was a very muscular griffon with a dark brown body and a white feathered head with eyes the same color as Gilda's own eyes. He had an angry look on his face as he approached Equestria's army. Gilda's golden yellow eyes widened when she figured out who this griffon was.

The griffon approaching them was none other than her father.

"So are you mules going to give up yet?" he asked. "I'd rather not waste any time since we're going to destroy you no matter what."

"We're kickin' your tails!" Lightning Dust shouted.

"You're the one that should give up!" Rainbow Dash yelled fiercely.

The other ponies agreed with them as they glared at the griffon that stood before them. He looked through the crowds as if searching for someone in particular.

"Out of curiosity." he said. "Who's your general?"

"Me." Gilda said firmly as she shoved past her friends to glare at her father. The brown and white griffons stared at each other before Gilda's father broke out into laughter.

"You?" he asked in a shocked tone. "Well this'll be easier than I thought. You mules are in for it."

With that, he flew off and headed back to where he had come from. Gilda had one of the angriest looks anypony had ever seen on her face as she watched her father fly off. Then she looked upwards and noticed a massive group of griffons flying towards them. It didn't take long for her to realize that each and every one of them was carrying a very large boulder underneath them.

"Get ready guys!" Gilda shouted. "Here they come!"

Instantly every pony prepared themselves. The griffons and the pegasi were ready to take to the sky at a moment's notice. Rarity and the other unicorns kept their gazes locked on the boulders just like Applejack and the earth ponies did. Pinkie Pie had made sure that her cannons were ready as she stood by a switch that would fire them all at once.

"Let's take 'em down!" Rainbow Dash said as Lightning Dust nodded in agreement.

"Not yet." Gilda warned. "We gotta wait until they get close."

They waited as the griffons drew nearer and nearer to Equestria's army. Everypony was now starting to feel incredibly nervous about the rapidly approaching half lion half eagle creatures. Why wasn't Gilda telling them to attack yet? What was she waiting for?

"Gilda Ah think we should do something." Applejack said nervously.

"I think we've waited long enough." Rarity agreed.

Gilda however ignored the duo as she instructed Pinkie Pie to wait. She wanted to make absolute sure that her timing was perfect. If she fired too soon then the griffons would easily dodge the cannons. But on the other end if she waited too long then her attacks would be too late. Gilda needed to wait for just the right moment. She might have been taking an awful risk but she knew that this was the best chance for Equestria. She tried to keep a calm mind as she waited for the griffons to be just the right distance away.

"G?' Rainbow Dash asked nervously.

Gilda ignored her best friend and kept her gaze locked on the griffons.

"G?" Rainbow Dash asked in a louder and slightly panicked tone.

Once again Gilda ignored her.

"G!" Rainbow Dash practically screamed.

Gilda's eyes widened as she realized that the time was finally perfect.

"FIRE!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as her friends and army roared in response.

Immediately the large array of cannons fired the water balloons at their targets. The giant liquid filled balloons soared towards the griffons at blindingly fast speeds.

SPLASH!

The water balloons had been right on target as they collided with the group of griffons. The army of half lion half eagle creatures were so stunned that they had dropped their boulders to the ground. The very few that had managed to avoid the attack were quickly tackled by griffons and they dropped their ammunition as a result.

Quick as a flash Rarity signaled to her unicorns to slow the boulders down. Many horns began to glow and the rocks were surrounded by magical auras. The boulders' speed began to decrease and soon they were gently lowered to the ground at such a slow pace that they didn't even crack the cobblestone paths. After this had been done, Applejack led the earth ponies to the rocks and they carried them off to an empty section of town where they would be dealt with later. Gilda was completely stunned by what had happened. Her army had countered one of the most devastating attacks that Grifforia had at their disposal. Nopony had gotten injured and there wasn't even a bit's worth of damage done to any house or other property. Meanwhile a good distance away a griffon stood in a fit of extreme anger.

"This is ridiculous!" Gilda's father shouted furiously. "Those mules are blocking us at every turn. There's no way we're losing to them!"

"Patience dear." his wife said soothingly. "We still have one trick up our sleeves."

Gilda's father smiled maliciously as he heard this. There was still one more move they could make. And he was certain that this move would assure victory for Grifforia.

"I think it's time that Equestria saw how powerful we griffons are." the female griffon continued.

The two of them laughed maniacally as their secret weapon took to the heights of the skies and slowly flew through the air to deliver the surprise of a century to Equestria's population.


	13. Chapter 13: The Weapon Appears

**Chapter 13: The Weapon Appears**

The ponies of The Equestrian Army were feeling extremely proud of themselves at the moment. The first four waves of the war had ended and they had gone incredibly smoothly for Equestria. They had easily taken down three waves of Grifforian soldiers as well as their usually devastating Boulder Barrage and they had hardly taken any damage during the process. The injuries that had been sustained were very few and incredibly minor. Property damage wasn't even a factor since not a single one of Grifforia's boulders had even scratched the cobblestone streets of Ponyville let alone destroyed buildings. All of the ponies that had been injured were now feeling one hundred percent better thanks to the treatment given by Fluttershy and other medic ponies. Everypony was ecstatic about the way the war was going. They were easily besting Grifforia at every turn and they felt like the war would end extremely soon. For all of their talking, Grifforia had barely harmed Equestria at all. The most damage they had done was insult the ponies by calling them mules many times during the battles.

Gilda however had a much different feeling about the war than her friends and comrades did. While she was definitely extremely pleased by how the war was going, she knew what was coming for them. Grifforia was undoubtedly going to unleash their secret weapon on Equestria. This would be the ultimate stand for Equestria for if the ponies in Ponyville lost then Equestria would be doomed. Gilda was beyond nervous about what lay ahead, she was terrified. Gilda was scared for herself as well as all of her friends in Ponyville. She couldn't afford to let Equestria lose this war because then Grifforia would torture them. Gilda stood silently and she anxiously waited to see when the secret weapon of Grifforia would arrive.

Suddenly the afternoon air was filled with the terrified screams of hundreds of ponies. Their shouts were filled with the utmost terror as if they were seeing their worst nightmares come to life. They pointed upwards to the sky and shouted in panicked tones as they looked at what loomed above them. Every single pony was terrified at what they were now seeing. Gilda followed their gazes and her jaw dropped in utter amazement as she looked at what Grifforia had sent to annihilate them. She felt like this monstrosity was something that had come straight out of a horrifying nightmare.

Grifforia's secret weapon was a massive battleship. It was roughly the size of a fully grown dragon and it was just as intimidating. The smooth metal that made up its exterior was painted in varying dull shades of gray and black. It cast an enormous shadow over all of Ponyville encasing them in darkness as it flew slowly through the sky. The underside of the flying fortress had a very large door on it which was closed at the moment. While the massive battleship had no weapons, everypony feared what it could do to them. None of them knew what it could have at its disposal but they all knew that whatever it did would not be good for them. The massive battleship dominated the scene as two griffons flew down to the ground and smirked at the stunned ponies.

Gilda's golden yellow eyes narrowed in fury as she recognized the two griffons. The male was her father who she had seen during this war already. The female griffon had a light and agile body like Gilda's with the same tannish brown sort of color. Her head was covered with feathers which were an off white color with pink highlights surrounding her sky blue eyes. Gilda recognized this griffon to be her mother. Gilda's anger towards the griffons grew as she watched them strut towards the shocked ponies.

"Like it?" Gilda's mother asked as she grinned at the stunned ponies and gestured towards the massive weapon that was floating above them. "I designed it myself."

"Perhaps you mules will consider giving up now hmm?" Gilda's father asked in a smug tone as his golden yellow eyes struck fear into the hearts of Ponyville's citizens.

Everypony in Equestria's army turned towards Gilda. The brown and white griffon stared at the ponies that served her willingly throughout this war. Each and every face was showing some level of fear of the new weapon but it seemed like they were all seeking reassurance from their general. Every pony that had volunteered to fight in this war looked to Gilda as a leader and they depended on her to lead them to victory. Gilda studied the faces of her comrades as well as those of her closest friends. The looks that her friends gave her stiffened Gilda's resolve. Gilda stared her parents in the eyes as she spoke in a loud clear voice.

"We're not gonna give up!" she declared as she stood tall, proud, and firm against her parents. Gilda was determined not to let her face show any fear or anxiety. "We're gonna fight and we're gonna win! We're gonna turn that weapon into a pile of scrap!"

Instantly the army of ponies began to cheer at the top of their lungs. All of them were ready to fight against Grifforia's weapon no matter what it had in store for them. None of them were going to back down from this battle. Each and every pony was willing to put their lives on the line to save their homeland. The two griffons rolled their eyes and flew off. They retreated back to the weapon and the doors on its underside began to slowly open. Everypony tried to brace himself or herself for anything to come out from the opening. None of them knew what Grifforia was going to send out to defeat them in this fight.

Finally the doors on the underside of Grifforia's weapon opened and hundreds upon hundreds of griffons poured out from the battleship. Each and every one of these griffons were identical to each other but they were unlike any griffons that Equestria's army had ever seen. Each of the griffons had bodies made up of a tough durable metal. Their 'eyes' had a cold, lifeless, and unfeeling look to them which made them all the more intimidating. The griffons seemed to not even be living beings but rather objects. The Equestrian Army was astounded as they watched the army of metallic griffons land on the ground and charge straight towards them. The army of ponies charged towards their enemies and the battle began.

This battle was unlike any that Equestria had ever witnessed. The metal griffons took hit after hit but never went down. They showed no signs of exhaustion, pain, or emotion as they fought against the ponies. Rarity, Applejack, as well as Grayback's pegasus tried to organize their troops as best as they could but they had little success. A good amount of the griffons stayed in the air and circled the battleship as if they were protecting it. Every once in a while a pegasus or a griffon would try to attack the battleship but they would get struck down by one of Grifforia's metal soldiers. Gilda had absolutely no idea on how to take down this new threat. Nothing was working since the magic of the unicorns bounced harmlessly off of the battleship's armor while the other ponies couldn't even get near the thing.

"We need a plan here G!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she used her speed to bring down one of Grifforia's seemingly endless supply of metal griffons.

"Any ideas?" Gilda shouted back as she tossed one metal griffon at another. The two collapsed into a pile of metal and were unable to get up again.

"You're the leader!" Rainbow Dash told her as she fought against another griffon.

"Well I didn't think we'd be fighting something like this!" Gilda said indignantly as more griffons tried to take her down.

The duo were forced to fight against the griffons and they tried to think of a plan as they attacked their enemies. While Gilda was strong, these griffons had a lot of endurance. Even with her brute strength it still took Gilda quite a few hits to take down just one solider. It didn't help that Grifforia had about ten metal griffons for every pony that was fighting for Equestria. Gilda's parents watched from the sky and grinned. The battle was going perfectly. All of the previous losses were just minor setbacks. They were positive that there was no way for Equestria to beat their new weapon. Laughing maliciously, the two griffons left the battleship behind and observed the fight from a better spot.


	14. Chapter 14: Feelings Revealed

**Chapter 14: Feelings Revealed**

Ponyville was in a state of total confusion and panic as the ponies of Equestria's army tried their absolute hardest to fight agains Grifforia's army of strange metal griffons. No matter how many griffons they brought down, there were plenty more were they had come from. It seemed like the battleship would never run out of griffons to deploy against Equestria's forces. Nopony had any idea about what to do. It was obvious that they needed to bring down Grifforia's battleship but there was no way for anypony to get near it without getting tackled by griffons. Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, Twilight Sparkle, Grayback, Psyke, Chunker, and Monochrome were together as they tried to think of some way to get up to the battleship.

"We gotta bring it down." Rainbow Dash said firmly while the others nodded in firm agreement.

"But there's no way we can get to that thing without those griffons attacking us." Twilight Sparkle told her. "None of us could get in the air long enough to dodge them."

"Any of you got an idea?" Gilda asked the group that surrounded her.

Every face showed the same emotion: hopelessness. None of the seven that were standing with Gilda had any plan in mind to bring down Grifforia's secret weapon. It looked like all hope was lost for Equestria and its citizens. All they could do was hope that they wouldn't be hurt too badly by Grifforia once they had finally won the war. Lightning Dust looked around and suddenly her eyes widened.

"Guys." she said. "I've got an idea."

Lightning Dust quickly ran towards Pinkie Pie's party cannons and aimed them towards Grifforia's battleship. She made absolute sure that eight cannons were aiming at the exact right spot.

"Umm Lightning." Rainbow Dash began. "I don't think water balloons are gonna work this time."

"We're not launching water balloons Dash." Lightning Dust replied. "We're launching ourselves."

"Are you crazy?" the group of seven shouted in response as they gave Lightning Dust gazes of disbelief as if the teal daredevil pegasus pony had gone insane.

"It's our only shot." Lightning Dust told them. "If we launch ourselves we can get past those griffons. Then we can get inside that thing and destroy it."

Gilda remembered how Grayback's griffons had told her about the battleship's four weak spots. She quickly grabbed the objects that they had given her. She looked uncertainly at Lightning Dust and wondered if this plan would actually work. It was one of the craziest ideas that Gilda had ever heard in her life.

"Are you sure about this Lightning?" Twilight Sparkle asked in a very concerned tone as she looked at the daredevil mare that stood near the cannons.

"There's no way around it Twi." Lightning Dust replied. "This is the only chance we've got. I don't know about you guys but if I'm going down to those chumps then I'm going down fighting."

The group of seven stared at Lightning Dust for a moment and then they all broke out into speech.

"Works for me." Chunker said.

"It's a preposterous idea but I guess you are right." Monochrome sighed.

"I always wanted to get launched from a cannon." Psyke stated enthusiastically as his horn glowed in anticipation.

"It's insane but I say we go for it." Grayback declared.

"But the chances of this working are probably one in a million." Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.

Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Lightning Dust exchanged glances with each other before they spoke at once.

"Sounds like good odds to me." the trio of fliers said in unison with confident grins on their faces.

The group of eight looked at each other and nodded. They were going to launch themselves from the cannons and they would try to bring down Grifforia's battleship. They knew that this plan was extremely risky and would likely get them hurt or worse even on the off chance that it did work, but they also knew that it was the best and only plan that they had. Gilda gave Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle three of the objects that she had gotten from Grayback's griffons. A thought emerged in the back of the griffon's mind.

_Ya gotta tell her. _the small voice in the back of her mind said.

_Now's not a good time._ another part of Gilda's mind argued.

_Now could be the only time._ the first voice reasoned.

Before the group of eight got themselves situated in their cannons, Gilda gave Rainbow Dash a quick tap on the shoulder and spoke to her.

"Hey Dash." Gilda said. "Before we do this, I got something to tell ya."

Rainbow Dash looked a bit surprised but she smiled and allowed Gilda to continue.

"What do ya wanna say G?" she asked her best friend.

"You promise not to make fun of me right?" Gilda asked the pegasus desperately.

"Of course G." Rainbow Dash told her.

"You won't ditch me right?" Gilda continued.

"Come on G." Rainbow Dash replied. "We're best friends. You can tell me anything. I'll never ditch ya."

"You promise?" Gilda asked.

"I promise." Rainbow Dash replied. "So what do ya wanna say?"

"Just this." Gilda muttered quietly as she slowly moved towards her best friend Rainbow Dash.

With that, Gilda stood right in front of Rainbow Dash and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. While having a beak made it hard for her to perform such an action, Gilda enjoyed it immensely. Rainbow Dash's pink and purple eyes widened in shock but then she closed her eyes and returned Gilda's embrace. The two fliers broke apart and they both had furious blushes on their face.

"Wow G." Rainbow Dash whispered in an awe filled tone. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

"Dash you're my best friend." Gilda told her. "It ain't easy for me to say this to ya but I gotta say it now. I really like ya Dash. You've been an awesome friend for years and ya really mean a lot to me. Do ya get what I'm saying?"

Rainbow Dash stared at Gilda for a moment before she spoke.

"I think I do." she said slowly as a grin grew on her face. "But I wanna hear ya say it."

Gilda rolled her eyes in mock irritation as she replied.

"You can never make things easy for me can ya Dash?" she asked in a tone of fake annoyance.

"Nah I really can't." Rainbow Dash replied with a tone of light mischief.

Gilda looked her longtime best friend in the eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke to her the words that she had wanted to say to the rainbow maned pegasus for a very long time.

"I love ya Dashie." Gilda said.

When those four words left Gilda's mouth she had been expecting anything. Gilda had tried to prepare herself for any outcome to what she had just said. She prepared herself for the teasing that was sure to come. Gilda braced herself to hear the sympathetic tone that Rainbow Dash would use when she told Gilda that she only saw her as a friend and nothing more. Gilda had even tried to be ready to hear Rainbow Dash break off their friendship. Gilda thought that she had prepared herself for anything. What she hadn't prepared herself for however were the five words that Rainbow Dash said in response.

"I love ya too Gilds." Rainbow Dash replied.

Gilda's golden yellow eyes widened as she stared at her best friend. Did Rainbow Dash really return her feelings? Could it actually be true? The griffon stared into the pink and purple eyes of the pegasus pony before her as if she was trying to see the honesty in her statement. All of a sudden Rainbow Dash grinned and then she gave Gilda a kiss of her own. The two fliers were in a state of blissful oblivion as they held each other in their forelegs. Both of them felt so happy to have found true love with each other. When they finally broke apart they stared at each other with smiles on their faces until a voice interrupted them.

"All right come on." Grayback said. "I'm just as romantic as the next pony or griffon but I think we've got something a bit more important to deal with." He quickly gestured towards the massive weapon that loomed overhead and the others understood. The group of eight loaded themselves into the cannons as Pinkie Pie stood by to launch them. All of them had determined looks on their faces and then they were off. Eight cannons were launched as the two griffons. two alicorns, and four pegasi were sent towards the battleship.


	15. Chapter 15: Destroying The Weapon

**Chapter 15: Destroying The Weapon**

The group of eight fliers shot out of their cannons at blindingly fast speeds. The metal griffons in the air couldn't react in time to take them down. Soon enough their momentum decreased and they began to fly towards the battleship. Gilda led the way with Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle following closely behind her. Grayback and his team flew around them and fought off the many griffons that tried to bring the foursome down. Gilda and her team needed to get inside of the battleship so that they could destroy it but they needed Grayback and his team to provide support for them. Thankfully the four criminals were quite skilled at taking down the metal griffons.

Chunker used her brute strength to demolish the army of drones. Her massive muscles were more than a match for the metal armor on the robot griffons. The muscular pegasus laughed cheerfully as she took down griffon after griffon. Meanwhile Monochrome used her brains rather than her brawn during the fight. Her tactical style of fighting allowed her to trick the metal griffons and cause them to collide into each other. Psyke's horn glowed a bold fiery red and he laughed maniacally as he shot bursts of fire at his enemies. The red alicorn was clearly enjoying the task. Thankfully the griffons were made of metal and they weren't real living beings so they couldn't feel any pain. The psychotic pony took down a number of enemies as he did his part to protect the foursome on their way to the battleship. Grayback used his natural strength, his claws, and his fighting skills to defeat even more of the griffons. He made sure that not a single one of them would harm Gilda or the others. He might not like Gilda but he needed to make sure Equestria won this war. Being in Canterlot Prison was much more preferable to being held captive by Grifforia.

The battleship kept spewing out more and more griffons. Majority of the new arrivals focused on the eight fliers while very few went down to ground level. It was clear that Gilda and the others entering the battleship was not something that Grifforia wanted to see happen. The battleship kept sending griffons in massive swarms that circled the group of eight. Even with their tremendous powers, Grayback and his team could barely protect Gilda and the others from the metal griffons that flew all over the place.

Meanwhile the battle on the ground was still going strong. The ponies who had been in charge were leading their troops against Grifforia's massive array of metal griffons. They were all determined to make sure that Equestria won this war. Applejack used her hind legs to knock out a couple of griffons while Rarity's magic kept her enemies at bay. Spike was using his superpowers to their fullest extent as he blasted every metal griffon that he saw. The young drake was determined to protect Rarity and the others from Grifforia's wrath. Trixie Lulamoon's horn glowed as she fought off the griffons. The showmare was definitely skilled in the field of combative magic.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie laughs at this pathetic attempt." Trixie shouted as she struck down another griffon. "Do you really believe that piles of metal would be enough to counter The Great and Powerful Trixie's magic?"

"Come on y'all." Applejack encouraged her friends. "We have ta do our part ta save Ponyville and all of Equestria."

"We cannot allow these ruffians to get the best of us." Rarity shouted in agreement as she attacked another griffon.

Equestria's army battled bravely against Grifforia's army of griffons. The ponies of Ponyville had a lot riding on the outcome of this war. They were going to fight with every bit of strength that they had until the very end of the war. The army of metal griffons fell one by one as Equestria's army of earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, griffons, and dragon kept battling fiercely to defend their lives and country.

Back in the air Gilda was looking for any opening that she could use to get inside of the battleship. She and her three friends needed to get inside of the weapon so that they could destroy it. Grayback and his crew were doing everything that they could to defend the foursome until they made it inside of the battleship. The army of metal griffons swarmed around them as they tried to find a way in. Grayback and his team took down more griffons which caused the doors on the underside of the battleship to open.

Seeing her opportunity, Gilda flew straight at the opening with her three friends following right behind her. The massive army of griffons tried to stop them but Grayback and his team weren't going to let that happen.

"Come on you worthless junk heaps." he shouted. "Catch us if you can."

Grayback flew and a good amount of griffons followed him. Psyke, Chunker, and Monochrome flew away from the big battleship and the remaining griffons followed them as well. The way to get inside of the battleship was now wide open for Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle. The foursome took one glance at the battle behind them before they flew inside of the battleship. The doors closed behind them and they were now inside of Grifforia's weapon.

A shiver of fear passed down the foursome. This was an extremely dangerous place for them to be in. They were now inside of one of the deadliest machines ever created. However there was no turning back for them now. They had a mission and they needed to complete that mission. The group of four walked through the gray metal halls of the ship as they searched for the four weak points. The hallways of the ship were completely empty which just gave the place an even more intimidating and unfriendly atmosphere to it. Finally the foursome approached a point where they had to separate and travel down four different paths.

"Good luck guys." Gilda said.

"We'll be meeting right back here." Rainbow Dash told them.

"Let's take this pile of junk down!" Lightning Dust declared.

"And be careful everypony." Twilight Sparkle warned them.

With that, the foursome separated and walked down their own paths. Fear settled in with each and every single one of them. Fear that they would get hurt. Fear that the others would get hurt. All of them were afraid of the dangers that would be undoubtedly waiting for them inside of the ship.

Twilight Sparkle made her way down an empty hallway with its steel gray walls and white tiled floor. The purple alicorn was very nervous about the situation. She calmed herself by thinking of Trixie which did wonders on her very troubled mind. Twilight Sparkle kept walking until she reached the room where she would plant her device. The dark metal door opened and she was soon face to face with ten emotionless, metal griffons all staring at her. The purple alicorn's horn glowed with her magical aura and she began to fight.

Lightning Dust strolled down another empty hallway which lead downwards to her destination. The daredevil pegasus pony kept up a brave face in an attempt to ward off the fear, uncertainty, and anxiety that was threatening to overcome her. Lightning Dust did her best to shake off all of her nerves. She needed to keep a cool head about this situation.

"Keep cool Lightning." she told herself firmly as she walked. "You've faced worse than this."

Lightning Dust kept walking until she came upon the room that she needed to destroy. With a look of bravery in her golden eyes, Lightning Dust opened the door and charged straight at the ten metal griffons that were waiting for her.

Rainbow Dash was moving swiftly down the path to the room that she would be in charge of demolishing. The light blue rainbow maned pegasus was determined to destroy this weapon. Her mind wandered towards Gilda and the kiss that the two of them had shared just before embarking on this mission. Rainbow Dash tried her best to stay positive and confident in herself and her friends. The rainbow maned pegasus knew that the four of them could do this. She reached the end of the hallway and entered the room where ten metal griffons were waiting for her. With a look of fierce determination on her face, Rainbow Dash attacked her enemies.

Gilda was making her way to the end of another hallway. Gilda's path was leading upwards towards the control room of the battleship. The brown and white griffon kept her face clear of all emotion as she moved swiftly and silently to her destination.

_This is crazy. _she thought to herself. _I just gotta keep going. I can't let them down. Especially not Dash._

At the thought of her new marefriend, Gilda's determination was doubled. She quickened her pace and soon enough she reached the room that she had been waiting to find. The door to the control room opened and Gilda made her way inside where she was confronted by ten metal griffons.

The foursome battled ferociously against their opponents. They used their speed, strength, and brains to take down the metal griffons that tried to stop their mission from being successful. Twilight Sparkle shot a bolt of magic at the last griffon and it went down. She quickly planted the device in the room and left. Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash had also beaten their enemies, set up their objects, and were now making their escape. Gilda took down the final griffon and then she made her way out of the room. The foursome met up back where they had split up and they nodded to assure each other that everything was going according to plan.

The foursome made it to the hatch at the bottom just as it opened up to allow more griffons to join the battle. Gilda and her friends darted past the twenty griffons and escaped into the sky. They flew through the air and were spotted by Grayback and his team. The group of eight retreated from the battleship and landed on the ground. Gilda pulled out a switch and pressed a button on it.

Instantly, Grifforia's battleship exploded into a gigantic fireball. The four devices had been planted in just the right places which caused the entire weapon to be engulfed in flames. The metal griffons that were still inside were quickly incinerated. Thankfully there were no living beings hostile or friendly inside of the battleship. The weapon was nothing more than a great big fireball. However the fireball was now plummeting towards Ponyville much to the panic of all of the citizens within the town.

"It's gonna crash!" Lightning Dust shouted.

"We're done for!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

Suddenly Psyke stepped forwards and pushed his way between the two fliers.

"Pardon me ladies." he said. "I got this."

The psychotic alicorn's horn glowed as the fireball was surrounded by a bright red magical aura. Psyke concentrated and then the fireball flew towards him and was absorbed into his horn. The ponies cheered wildly for him but then they realized that there was still a large amount of griffons to take care of. Grinning a bit, Psyke took aim and started firing blasts of flame towards the metal monsters.

"Another one down." he cheered as he struck down a griffon. "Another one gone. Another one bites the dust."

One by one the metal griffons were demolished by Psyke's fire. The ponies cheered for the red alicorn as he defeated their enemies. Psyke cackled with mad laughter as he defeated more and more griffons. Finally the last metal griffon fell and the red alicorn grinned proudly at his handiwork. Pinkie Pie suddenly ran right up to Psyke and hugged him.

"That was cool!' she shouted enthusiastically as she spoke at a fast pace. "Well not cool because fire isn't cool it's hot. Fire's hot right? Oh Psyke you're really really really warm."

Psyke grinned a bit as he listened to the pink pony's rambling. He touched a bold red hoof to his horn and felt the heat that was radiating from it due to the fire he had launched at the metal griffons.

"My horn must be like two hundred degrees." he said. "But that's why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit."

"Really? Mr. Fahrenheit?" Gilda asked sarcastically. "And who actually calls you that?"

"Really nopony." Psyke admitted in response. "I just made it up 'cause I liked it. You guys nailed it in there. You took that thing down. You guys are like Killer Queens or something."

The whole crowd laughed and they were in high spirits now. Grifforia's secret weapon was now gone and their army had been defeated. Everypony was in a really good mood. Gilda and Rainbow Dash were close together with small blushes on their faces. The duo kissed and then Pinkie Pie bounced over to them.

"Ooh!" she shrieked. "Are you guys gonna get married? I can't wait. I'm so excited! Can I be a bride's mare? Please?Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?"

"Pinkie they only kissed." Twilight Sparkle told her. "I think it's a bit too soon for a wedding."

Gilda and Rainbow Dash grinned at each other and they decided to humor Pinkie Pie a little bit. Gilda looked at the excited pink pony and spoke to her.

"Tell ya what Pinks." she said. "If me and Dash get married you can be my best mare. How's that?"

Pinkie Pie's sky blue eyes widened in sheer amazement. She couldn't believe what she had heard Gilda say.

"Really?" she asked in an astonished tone. "Really really really?"

"Couldn't think of anypony better." Gilda told her honestly. "If it wasn't for ya Dash wouldn't even be talking to me."

Pinkie Pie let out a high pitched squeal of excitement as she hugged Gilda. The whole town was waiting for Grifforia to surrender to them so that the war would finally be over.

Unfortunately for them, there was still one more battle to be had before the war would end.

**Author's Note: **There are three music references in this chapter. Can you find them? Also before anyone asks I do not have plans on writing any wedding stories between Rainbow Dash and Gilda or any other pairings. I just don't know enough about weddings to make a good story.


	16. Chapter 16: Family Matters

**Chapter 16: Family Matters**

All of the ponies in Equestria's army were in extremely high spirits and for once Gilda shared their sentiments. The war was certainly over now. Grifforia's four waves of soldiers had been beaten and now their secret weapon had been totally destroyed by the combined forces of Gilda, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, and Twilight Sparkle. There was no way that they could even think of fighting anymore. Gilda grinned as she chatted cheerfully with her friends. Rainbow Dash was standing close to her with a look of admiration on her face.

Gilda and Rainbow Dash had finally confessed their feelings of love to each other. Both the pegasus and the griffon were certain that the other wouldn't return their feelings but they were wrong. Now the two fliers were closer than ever before. Their friends congratulated them and all of them were extremely happy for the duo. Even Grayback offered some kind words to them. Gilda's face bore a rather mischievous grin as she lightly brushed her wing against Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. This action caused the rainbow maned pegasus to blush furiously in a color that would never be found in her messy multicolored mane.

"Gilda." she said in a shocked tone. "Did you just tip touch me?"

"Yep." Gilda said rather proudly. "Got a problem with it?"

Rainbow Dash grinned a bit as she brushed the tip of her wing against Gilda's flank on the spot where her cutie mark would be if she had one. Gilda didn't blush but it was a near thing. The two fliers laughed as they threw a foreleg around each other. Applejack looked a bit confused by what had just transpired.

"So is that like a hoof bump or something?" she asked in confusion as she stared at the two fliers.

"It's called tip touching." Twilight Sparkle explained. "It's a gesture done by pegasi, griffons, and alicorns to show their love and affection towards each other."

The orange cowgirl earth pony still looked a bit uncertain about what Twilight Sparkle had told her. Thankfully Gilda was there to explain it in much simpler terms.

"It's basically flirting." the griffon told Applejack and the cowgirl nodded her head in understanding as she figured out what she had witnessed. The group kept chatting with each other happily as they waited for Grifforia to surrender.

Suddenly a pony pointed in the distance and the whole crowd noticed that Grifforia's entire massive army of griffons was marching towards them. The ponies braced themselves for anything as the hundreds of griffons came to a halt roughly twenty feet away from them. Gilda's father stepped out in front of the crowd with Gilda's mother right beside him. The two griffons faced the army of ponies as the male spoke in a loud and clear voice.

"I want to make an announcement." he said in a firm tone. "I challenge Gilda to a duel."

Gilda stepped forwards in front of her army with Rainbow Dash right next to her. Gilda glared at her parents as her father explained the duel. The two of them would fight and this battle would determine the outcome of the war. Gilda looked a bit uncertain but her friends gave her looks that told her that they had full confidence in her, Gilda gave her father a firm gaze and she accepted the challenge.

"Good luck G." Rainbow Dash said as she gave her new marefriend a kiss on the cheek, much to the shock, outrage, and disgust of the griffon's parents. "I know ya can win this."

"I'm gonna take him down Dash." Gilda told her as she returned the pegasus' gesture which only infuriated her parents even more. "This guy tried to ruin my life and right now I wanna return the favor."

The two fliers grinned at each other and then Gilda approached her father. The two griffons stared at each other for a moment and then they lunged towards each other with thunderous roars.

The fight began and both griffons were battling to their fullest potential. Gilda was determined to give her father exactly what he deserved. He had abused her for years, kept her from making friends, sent her to a school to make her hate ponies, separated her from her best friend, and started a war against her hometown and her friends. Gilda was very eager to vent all of her anger in this fight. Gilda's father meanwhile really wanted to punish his daughter for betraying Grifforia by befriending and fighting alongside ponies. He was furious that his own flesh and blood would shame him by working with Grifforia's sworn enemies.

"How dare you fight alongside these mules?" he demanded furiously as he brutally attacked Gilda with an endless barrage of punches, kicks, and slashes. "How dare you betray your own kind?"

"Maybe because these 'mules' are my friends." Gilda shot back as she dodged, blocked, and countered her father's many attacks. "Maybe if I had more friends in Grifforia I would have had more reasons to side with Grifforia."

The two half lion half eagle creatures continued their battle as the crowd cheered their generals on. Gilda's friends were giving the brown and white griffon all of the support that they could muster. Grayback and his team were making themselves heard as they cheered for Gilda. They might not have been friends but they wanted Gilda to win so that they could avoid the punishment her father would give them. The soldiers of Grifforia cheered for Gilda's father but it was clear that their hearts weren't in it. It almost seemed like they didn't care who won or who lost anymore. They weren't supporting Gilda but they weren't antagonizing her either. The duo kept on fighting against each other.

Rainbow Dash watched from the sidelines as Gilda battled against her father. She cheered wildly for her longtime best friend who was now her marefriend. Rainbow Dash definitely wanted to see Gilda be victorious in this battle. While this was happening Gilda's mother was hissing insults towards Gilda.

"Such a pathetic weakling." she said. "Befriending mules like this."

This remark earned the female griffon a very hard glare from Rainbow Dash. The rainbow maned pegasus glared straight at Gilda's mother and snarled. She did not like what was being said about Gilda.

Gilda kept fighting against her father but soon enough he started to gain the advantage. He pummeled Gilda with an endless barrage of attacks and Gilda just couldn't keep up. She took hit after hit from her father. The brown and white griffon could barely dodge the attacks let alone fight back. Gilda's father smirked as he kept up his relentless and vicious assault against his daughter.

"I always knew you were weak." he said as he punched Gilda in the chest which forced her back. "I always knew that being friends with such weak creatures would soften you."

"Don't listen to him G!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "You can take him!"

Gilda's father grinned arrogantly as he kept attacking his daughter. Gilda was getting picked apart by her father and she couldn't even fight back. The fight with her father as well as her efforts to bring down the weapon had taken their toll on her body and now she was almost useless. Gilda collapsed onto the ground, much to the amazement and fear of her friends. Gilda's father stared down at her with a smug grin on his face. He raised his claws and prepared to deliver the final blow.

Gilda meanwhile was watching her father with her eyes barely open. Gilda knew that this was the end for her. She was just too drained to move. She closed her golden yellow eyes and braced herself for her inevitable defeat. The last thing she thought about was Rainbow Dash. Gilda's mind was filled with misery and regret as she thought about the pegasus pony that had been her best friend for a long time and her marefriend for not even an hour.

_I'm sorry Dash. _Gilda thought miserably as her father raised his razor sharp claws. _I'm sorry I let ya down._

Gilda's father stared at his daughter for just a few seconds and then her brought his razor sharp claws down to finally end the war against Equestria.


	17. Chapter 17: The Golden Griffon

**Chapter 17: The Golden Griffon**

Rainbow Dash watched the battle before her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. She watched in shock as Gilda got tossed around like a rag doll. Her father was beating her with very little difficulty. Rainbow Dash hated seeing her new marefriend like this. She did everything she could to encourage Gilda but the brown and white griffon just couldn't compete with her father's brutal fighting style.

Meanwhile Gilda's mother was watching the fight with a much different thought process. She enjoyed what she was watching. She and her husband had disowned Gilda ever since she befriended Rainbow Dash so she didn't even see Gilda as her daughter but instead as a traitor. She grinned maliciously as she watched the fight that was taking place before her eyes.

"This is what she gets for being a weakling." she said with an arrogant smirk on her face.

Rainbow Dash glared at Gilda's mother with more anger than anypony had ever seen. Her friends saw the rage and hatred in her gaze and they were scared. They had never seen Rainbow Dash like this before in their lives. They had seen her angry on multiple occasions but it was never like this. It was as if the rainbow maned pegasus was now the physical embodiment of anger, rage, and hatred. They knew that Rainbow Dash was very close to her breaking point.

"Only a pathetic weakling like her would befriend mules." Gilda's mother said nastily.

At this point, Rainbow Dash finally snapped. The rainbow maned pegasus lost all control over her emotions and she didn't care at the moment.

"I've had enough of you!" she screamed as she launched herself at Gilda's mother and fought against her. Rainbow Dash was venting all of her anger towards the female griffon as the duo battled ferociously against each other. Her friends tried to help but Rainbow Dash wasn't going to allow it.

"Get away!" she yelled at Lightning Dust and Applejack as they tried to help her fight against Gilda's mother. "I'm taking her down all by myself!"

The two females kept up their battle for a while. Gilda's mother was nowhere near as skilled in combat as her husband was so she wasn't anywhere near good enough to beat Rainbow Dash. The light blue rainbow maned pegasus pony assaulted the female griffon with a relentless barrage of attacks until Gilda's mother finally collapsed on to the ground. Rainbow Dash stared at her enemy as she managed to calm herself down a bit.

"At least she's outta the way." Rainbow Dash muttered as she returned her gaze to the fierce battle that was taking place between the two generals. The rainbow maned pegasus was stunned to see that Gilda wasn't even standing anymore. Gilda was crumpled on the ground and her father was advancing towards her. The male griffon grinned as he raised his razor sharp talons to deliver the final blow to his daughter.

_No. _Rainbow Dash thought. _I can't lose Gilda like this._

Quick as a flash Rainbow Dash sprinted towards the fight and shoved Gilda out of harm's way but unfortunately she got smacked by the griffon's fist. Rainbow Dash was sent flying but she got back up and glared at Gilda's father with a fiery hatred.

"So the mule defends the traitor." the griffon muttered. "Doesn't matter. As if either of you will actually be a challenge."

Rainbow Dash charged towards the griffon and attacked. The duo fought against each other but it was clear that Gilda's father had an advantage. Griffons were naturally stronger than ponies and pegasi like Rainbow Dash weren't known for their strength. The griffon general drove Rainbow Dash back with an onslaught of attacks. He had a really arrogant smirk on his face as he lazily blocked all of his opponent's attacks. Then he knocked Rainbow Dash right off of her hooves and she fell to the ground. Gilda's father smirked and raised his claws to finish off the rainbow maned pegasus pony. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and waited for the blow to come.

Gilda meanwhile had opened her eyes after being sent flying. She was in a complete daze as her light purple eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her golden yellow eyes widened in shock as she saw what was happening. Her father was now leaning over an unmoving Rainbow Dash with his claws raised. Gilda knew what her father was going to do and then something in her mind snapped.

Before Gilda knew it, her body was now being surrounded in a bright golden aura. This display caught the eye of every pony and griffon in the area. Gilda's entire body glowed a bright golden color as she stood up from her fallen position and stared at her father. The arrogant male griffon was astounded at what he was witnessing. The glow then began to fade away and jaws dropped in shock all around the area. Gilda had transformed into a completely different griffon than what she normally was.

Gilda's body had now taken on a golden color that was similar to the aura that had previously surrounded her. Her head had taken on a lighter shade of gold while her wings were darker than her body. Her eyes were surrounded by golden feathers as she glared at her father with intense anger and hatred. The aura faded away and Gilda's friends realized what had just happened.

"It can't be." Gilda's father whispered in shock. "_The Golden Griffon_?"

Gilda glared at her father and every griffon in the audience knew that she had turned into the griffon from legend. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing but it was real. Gilda glared at her father as he regained his composure and returned her gaze of hatred.

"There's no way you can be The Golden Griffon." Gilda's father said in shock as his daughter glared at him. "How could such a weakling become someone so powerful?"

"Because you attacked the pony that she cared about more than any other." Twilight Sparkle told him. "Because of you Gilda found her true strength and power."

Gilda nodded her head and then she spoke to her father in a loud voice.

"And I'm gonna use this power to kick your tail and end this fight!" she yelled as she charged at her father and he ran straight towards her to resume their battle.

The two griffons met and continued their fight from before. Gilda seemed like she had been completely refreshed from her transformation. It was like she had gotten all of her energy back and was ready to fight on for however long it took for her to defeat her father. The two griffons dueled against each other as the entire crowd watched in shock and awe. Gilda's friends cheered her on as she fought against her father. Rainbow Dash got up and her pink and purple eyes widened in surprise as she stared at her newly transformed marefriend.

With a change in Gilda's appearance came a dramatic change in the battle. Gilda was able to block almost all of her father's hits and she quickly countered with her own. Gilda's father was stunned at how well his daughter was fighting. He tried to take his enemy down but none of his attacks worked. His wife got up from the ground but she was far too weakened from her battle with Rainbow Dash to help him. The two griffons kept on fighting until Gilda gave her father a very powerful punch to the gut which caused him to fly back a few feet and crumple to the ground. He got back up and glared at his daughter with as much hatred as he could muster.

"No!" he shouted. "I'm not losing to some pathetic traitor! You'll pay for that Gilda!" Then he charged straight at his own daughter in an attempt to finish her off.

Gilda didn't say anything in response. Instead she roared at the top of her lungs and her roar could have been heard for miles as she charged towards him and a golden glow once again formed around her body.

The two griffons met once again and Gilda quickly attacked her father with all of the hits that she could deliver. She gave her father punch after punch after punch. The male griffon was getting punished by his daughter and he couldn't fight back or escape from her attacks. Finally Gilda landed on last tremendous punch to his face and he fell to the ground and collapsed. He tried to get back up but he failed. Gilda had won the battle. Her friends and army cheered for her as her body lost its golden color and returned to its normal state. Gilda glared at her father and then Rainbow Dash ran up to her and hugged her.

"You were awesome G!" she yelled as she flung her forelegs around the griffon and held her in a tight hug.

"Thanks Dash." Gilda said as she hugged Rainbow Dash in return and clutched at her for support. Gilda's time spent as The Golden Griffon had weakened her immensely. Rainbow Dash kept her standing until Gilda managed to regain her energy and stand by herself. Gilda's father got up and glared at his daughter. It looked like the war had finally ended but Gilda's father was determined not to give up.


	18. Chapter 18: The War's End

**Chapter 18: The War's End**

Gilda's father glared at his daughter as she smiled triumphantly. Gilda was now certain that the war was over. There was now way the Grifforia could fight against Equestria anymore. There was nothing that her father would be able to do aside from surrender. Grifforia's soldiers looked disheartened at their loss but they didn't seem to care that much. Gilda knew that the war was over and Equestria had won. Her father however begged to differ with Gilda's sentiments.

"You really think this is over?" he asked. "This war will never end! Grifforia will be victorious!"

"And just how are y'all plannin' on fightin'?" Applejack asked.

"There is no further point in fighting anymore." Rarity agreed.

"No more fighting!" Pinkie Pie yelled.

"Finally this fight will be over." Fluttershy whispered.

"You fools!" Gilda's father snarled. "This war is not going to end. We will keep fighting and Grifforia will win!"

"How?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Your army was beaten."

"We trashed your secret weapon." Lightning Dust added.

"And you just got your tail kicked by Gilda." Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"You can't fight anymore." Gilda said.

Gilda's father looked like he was about to speak again but he was cut off by a new unfamiliar voice.

"They're right." a male voice said. "The war is truly over as it should have been years ago."

Every creature in the area turned and the griffons were stunned at who was speaking.

"Your Majesty?" Gilda's father asked with surprise and a hint of fear in his normally arrogant voice.

"Uhhh G?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Who's that?"

"Dash that's the King of Grifforia." Gilda told her in an extremely astonished tone. "But what's he doing here/"

The King of Grifforia approached Gilda's parents who were now trembling with fear.

"I will deal with you later." he said in a low and threatening tone as the two griffons cowered before him in fright. Then the King of Grifforia turned to the mass of ponies and spoke.

"It pains me to see what has happened here today." he said in a mournful tone. "I wish to assure you all that this war was not approved by me. I did not want to start something like this."

His sorrowful gaze traveled over the many ponies and griffons that made up Equestria's army. His facial expression was filled with regret about the day's events. Suddenly he spotted Princess Celestia who had returned from the place where she had been hidden for safety reasons.

"My dear Princess Celestia." The King of Grifforia said. "I am terribly sorry for everything that has happened. This war was unacceptable and I wish to offer my apologies to you and every pony that was forced to fight."

He bowed his head in shame as The Sun Goddess looked down at him. The griffons in the crowd looked on with a bit of shame on their faces. Clearly they hadn't realized that this war hadn't been authorized by their king. They glared at Gilda's parents who were desperately trying to avoid getting any attention.

"It is quite all right." Princess Celestia told him. "Nopony was seriously harmed so all is forgiven."

"You are very kind Your Majesty." The King of Grifforia replied. "Perhaps we could work out a peace treaty so that nothing like this will ever happen again."

"That would be most welcome." Princess Celestia told him. "I have wished for the day to come when Equestria and Grifforia could put aside their rivalry and become allies."

"I waited for that day too." The King of Grifforia responded. "Once again I apologize for any harm that has been done to you or any of your subjects."

The King of Grifforia bowed to Princess Celestia and the army of griffons followed his example. The only exceptions to this were Gilda's parents who were both stunned and infuriated by what they were seeing. The King of Grifforia looked at them and his gaze turned to one of anger and hatred. He approached the two griffons and they shrank before his gaze of fierce hatred in fear.

"What you two have done today is unforgivable." he said. "Not only did you start a war without my permission but you also created a weapon to destroy Equestria. As of today the two of you are hereby banished from Grifforia forever."

Gilda's parents were stunned by this announcement. They were extremely proud griffons and now they had been forsaken and removed from their homeland. The two griffons walked away in shame as they were glared at by ponies and griffons alike for the terrible deeds they had done. Gilda watched her parents go with a bit of regret inside. Despite what they had done Gilda wished that she could have forgiven her parents. However she knew that her parents were not going to change themselves. Finally The King of Grifforia had his army return to Grifforia after they all made their apologies to Princess Celestia and all of Equestria. The crowd of ponies watched their former enemies fly away and then they cheered, The war had finally ended and now Grifforia and Equestria would be at peace.

Shining Armor then approached Grayback and his team of thieves with a stern look on his face. The foursome were upset that they were being taken back to prison. Suddenly Gilda stopped the unicorn from his duties.

"Do ya really have to arrest them?" she asked. "They saved our lives on this one."

"They're still criminals." Shining Armor replied. "I can't set them free."

"Perhaps you could." Princess Celestia said. "That is if our general agrees?"

Gilda looked at Princess Celestia and she understood. The Sun Goddess was giving her the choice on whether or not Grayback and his team should be arrested. Gilda looked at the clock and saw that it was six hours to midnight. She looked at the four thieves before her and spoke to them.

"You guys are criminals." she said.

The foursome looked down in shame as they waited to hear their sentence.

"But you guys did help us." Gilda said as a grin grew on her face. "So I think we can give ya thirty hours' head start."

The heads of the four thieves perked up as they looked at Gilda. They couldn't believe what they had heard. Gilda was giving them freedom for the next thirty hours. They thanked the griffon as she told them that if they started any trouble then she wouldn't stop Shining Armor from arresting them. With that matter settled, Rainbow Dash walked up to Gilda and spoke to her.

"So what now G?" she asked curiously.

"Well we won the war." Gilda said. "We took down a weapon. I think there's only one thing to do."


	19. Chapter 19: Victory Celebration

**Chapter 19: Victory Celebration**

Everypony in the area looked at Gilda in confusion. The war had ended and now Grifforia and Equestria would be allies instead of enemies. What could Gilda have in mind for them to do? They had defeated all of Grifforia's solider and they had destroyed their secret weapon. Gilda had also defeated her father who had started the war in the first place. What was she planning?

"So what are we gonna do G?" Rainbow Dash asked her marefriend with slightly raised eyebrows.

"There's only one thing to do Dash." Gilda told her in a strangely serious tone.

Everypony waited to hear what Gilda was going to say. Suddenly a grin grew on the brown and white griffon's face as she continued to speak.

"PARTY!" Gilda yelled at the top of her lungs, much to the approval of her friends. All of them liked the idea of having a party to celebrate the end of the war.

Instantly everypony made their way to SugarCube Corner for a celebration. The war between Equestria and Grifforia had finally ended and all of Ponyville's citizens were celebrating this occasion. Ponies danced, chatted, and had a great time together as they partied well into the night. Twilight Sparkle and Trixie danced together in the middle of the room along with Rarity and Spike as well as a few other couples.

Gilda meanwhile was being showered with loads of praise by the local townsponies. Her tremendous bravery and leadership had helped Equestria win the war so everypony was thankful for that. Gilda grinned as she was admired by the ponies from around town. She chatted cheerfully with her friends for a while until Rainbow Dash came up to her.

"So G about that kiss." Rainbow Dash began slowly. "Does that mean you're my marefriend now?"

Gilda grinned at the rainbow maned pegasus pony before her and then she gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Rainbow Dash blushed furiously but she smiled all the same. Gilda grinned broadly at the light blue winged pony as she spoke.

"Did that answer your question?" she asked playfully as she stared at her blushing marefriend. A grin was starting to form on Rainbow Dash's face as she responded to Gilda's question.

"Yeah I think it did." Rainbow Dash replied in the same playful sort of tone with a smile on her face.

The duo kissed once again and their friends smiled. They had wanted to see Rainbow Dash find somepony that she loved and they had hoped the same for Gilda. They hadn't expected the duo to find love with each other but they knew that fate worked in mysterious ways sometimes. The two fliers were in blissful oblivion as they held each other in their forelegs and embraced each other. Rainbow Dash's hooves were on Gilda's shoulders while Gilda had her talons underneath Rainbow Dash's wings. They held each other tightly in their embrace as they kissed. The two fliers kissed for a while until they were forced to break apart in order to breathe.

Grayback and his team mingled with the others in the room and they had a good time. Gilda had given them thirty hours worth of freedom and they were going to use it wisely. Psyke had started to get along with the others in the room. He had especially hit it off with Pinkie Pie. For some reason the pink pony found Psyke's jokes to be wildly funny. Grayback had gotten along with some of the others and had even had a civil conversation with Gilda. For the moment he had put his rivalry with the brown and white griffon aside and focused on just having a good time.

Finally the ponies who had fled to safety before the war had returned. Most of them were either elderly ponies or very young fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders walked in and joined the party. It took very little time before they were dressed up in their rock band outfits and performing on stage. They didn't sing their theme song but rather they performed a few popular rock songs that the crowd enjoyed. After their performance was over, Vinyl Scratch made her way on to the stage and started up her turntable. The off white unicorn got the party to really start jumping. Every pony in the room was screaming, laughing, and having a great time.

Soon enough Gilda was asked to come onto the stage and she obliged. The crowd cheered for the griffon that had been their leader during the war as she grinned at her friends. Soon enough Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Grayback, Psyke, Monochrome, Chunker, and the pegasus lieutenant joined her on the stage and they were showered with praise and attention. The group of twelve grinned broadly at all of the compliments that they were receiving. The townsponies had praised them for all of their efforts during the war. Some of them had been leaders while others had been part of the destruction of Grifforia's secret weapon. After a minute or so, the group of twelve left the stage and rejoined the party.

Soon enough a clock chimed midnight and everypony decided that it was time for the party to end. After a few more minutes of partying, everypony decided to leave for their homes. The party had been a ton of fun but now it was time for everypony to get some much needed sleep. Gilda and Rainbow Dash went back to the cloud castle in the sky to get some sleep. Gilda laid down in her bed and Rainbow Dash slept with her. They pulled Gilda's brown and white blanket over themselves and snuggled next to each other comfortably. Rainbow Dash laid her head on Gilda's white feathered chest and enjoyed the soft feathers immensely.

"Hey Dash." Gilda said. "I've got pillows here ya know."

"I know." Rainbow Dash replied. "But this is way more comfy for me."

The two fliers were about to fall asleep before Gilda spoke up again. Her voice wasn't as playful as it had been a moment ago but rather it had a serious sort of tone to it.

"Hey Dash." Gilda began. "You remember when you told me to go find cool friends somewhere else since being cool was all I cared about?"

Rainbow Dash had a guilty sort of look on her face as she responded to the question.

"Gilda I didn't mean that." she told her. "I wish I never said it."

"Well Dash I didn't care about being cool." Gilda explained. "I never really did. I just acted cool 'cause I thought that's what you liked about me."

"Gilda I liked you 'cause you were a great friend." Rainbow Dash told her. "It didn't matter if you were cool or not."

"Yeah I know." Gilda said quietly. "That's why I stopped trying to act cool. I guess it worked huh?"

"Gilda you were always my best friend." Rainbow Dash said. "I didn't want to see ya leave. I wanted to take ya back as soon as ya left."

"Don't worry Dash." Gilda said. "I don't care about being cool anymore. All I care about is having awesome friends like you and the others."

Rainbow Dash smiled at this and was just about to go to sleep before she decided to say one more thing to Gilda.

"Hey Gilda." Rainbow Dash said. "You're still cool to me."

"Coolest griffon you've ever met?" Gilda asked.

"Without a doubt." Rainbow Dash assured her.

The duo grinned broadly as they started to finally fall asleep. Their energy had been drained during the war and being at that party didn't help much. The two fliers closed their eyes and spoke to each other one last time.

"Good night Dashie." Gilda said.

"Good night Gilds." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Love ya."

"Love ya too."

With that, the duo fell asleep with contentment showing on their faces. They enjoyed being in each other's embrace and they knew that their love for each other was true. The two fliers slept on for a while and their dreams were of each other. The two fliers were in a state of pure happiness that they had never experienced before. The two lovers slept on throughout the night as they stayed in each other's embrace.


	20. Chapter 20: Aftermath

**Chapter 20: Aftermath**

A lot of things changed in the weeks that followed the end of the war between Equestria and Grifforia. The really bitter hatred between the two countries finally came to an end after over fifty years. The longtime rivalry and mistrust had been forgotten now that a treaty had been signed. More griffons started to live in Equestrian cities. A few griffons had even started to live in Ponyville. This had led to more trust between ponies and griffons.

Grifforia no longer held the belief that ponies were weak anymore. Instead of hating them they started to gain a new respect for Equestria's citizens. They realized that ponies weren't as bad as they had thought. They now started to be more accepting of ponies in general. They no longer cared if a griffon decided to become friends with a pony. They no longer made such griffons be outcasts. Grifforia was a much friendlier place after the war had ended.

Equestria meanwhile started to trust griffons more. While Gilda was trusted by Equestria she was a lone exception. Most griffons were seen as evil and therefore not be trusted or befriended. Now however ponies in Equestria started to form friendships with griffons of Grifforia. Some ponies had even tried to eat meat. While most didn't particularly care for it they no longer judged griffons for their diets. In fact they had allowed stores to sell meat to provide their new griffon customers with their food of choice.

The ponies who had been in charge of Equestria's army had earned their fair share of praise as well as awards for outstanding bravery. They had risked their lives to save their land and they were now being rewarded for their efforts. Shining Armor had bestowed upon them the highest award that Equestria's government had to offer. Every pony was extremely proud of how they had done during the war. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Lightning Dust, Pinkie Pie, Grayback, Psyke, Monochrome, Chunker, the pegasus lieutenant, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda were being treated like heroes of Equestria. All of them enjoyed the praise and respect that they received as a result of their heroism.

Grayback and his team of thieves spent their time in Ponyville wisely. They didn't cause any trouble whatsoever for any of Equestria's citizens. They partied with the others and then they ate their fill of food, got some much needed rest, and then they headed off just before their thirty hours were up. Shining Armor and his team of ponies spent their time searching for them but they were largely unsuccessful. Grayback and his crew were definitely extremely skilled at keeping themselves hidden from their enemies.

Gilda's parents had been forced into exile due to the crimes that they had committed. Neither Grifforia nor Equestria would allow them to live in their cities. While this might have seemed to be extreme the crimes committed by the two griffons had been far from forgivable. The duo had been very lucky to escape being sent to prison for the rest of their lives. They took refuge in The Everfree Forest and they were never heard from again. Gilda never went looking for her parents and they never went looking for her. Both sides had broken off all ties to each other ever since the day Gilda had become friends with Rainbow Dash.

Gilda and Rainbow Dash were another matter altogether. The duo had been best friends for a long time but now their friendship had grown into something even more beautiful. They had finally found love with each other. Both the griffon and the pegasus were extremely happy to be with each other. Being together like they were was such a joy to them that they couldn't describe. The two of them stayed together and they were both perfectly happy like that. Being best friends was fun for them but being lovers was even better.

**The End!**

**Author's Note: **I would like to thank you all for reading this story and being patient while I worked on it. I have someone that I'd like to thank and that is a user by the name of 1LoneShadow who beta read my story and gave me helpful advice. My friend you are a really great reviewer and a good friend so thank you very much. I'd also like to thank all of you guys because if it wasn't for your support I never would have finished this. Just by reviewing following or even reading my stories you're helping me a lot. This story was extremely tough to write but I kept thinking about the people that liked what I wrote and that kept me going. You guys are seriously helpful and I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. While I feel this story was worth the effort I most likely will not be writing another war story anytime soon. This was just really hard for me and I'd rather avoid the frustration I went through while writing it if I can. So what's next you might ask? Well next up will be a much shorter story. It will be a romance story but there will be two pairings instead of one. (To be honest one of the pairing is slightly scary for me.) Reviews are appreciated as always. Thanks for reading!


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